August 1, 2006 marks the one hundredth and seventy second (172nd.) anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery in 1834 and the one hundredth and sixty eighth (168th.) anniversary of “Full Freedom” in 1838.  Information on these events can to be found in records in the Archives.

The Slavery Abolition Act was passed by the British Parliament on 24th August 1833 but did not come into effect until August 1 1834 when all slaves in the British colonies were emancipated, and slavery was to be abolished throughout the British possessions abroad. The highlights of the Act as well as the local Act passed by the Jamaican House of Assembly are contained in the 1834 Proclamation issued by the Governor, the Marquis of Sligo.

The Apprenticeship System which was introduced did not work and so legislation was enacted to terminate it on August 1, 1838.  The Governor, Sir Lionel Smith issued a Proclamation (1838) to mark the occasion and asked that the “…first day of August next be observed in all Churches and Chapels as a day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for these his mercies…”

The first of August has since been a day of celebration in Jamaica although it did not officially become a public holiday until 1893. According to B.W. Higman “it was only the first Monday in August that was made a holiday, but from 1895 to 1962 August 1 itself was celebrated unless it fell on a Saturday or Sunday when the following Monday would be the holiday.” In 1962 it was replaced as a public holiday by Independence Day, which was celebrated on the first Monday in August.  However by popular demand, the day was reinstated as a public holiday in 1997.