On September 16, 1848, France formally abolished slavery. This was the second time France abolished slavery, as France first abolished it in 1794 and then a few years later Napoleon reinstated it.

France did not decide to end slavery out of the blue. Rather, it was through revolutionary resistance that led to the decision being made.

“The greatest achievement of the 1848 revolution for the colonies was the abolition of slavery.”

The revolution ended up freeing over 265,000 enslaved Africans in the West Indies and Réunion. In addition, the newly freed Africans were granted the right to vote.

PushBlack salutes all of our ancestors who fought in the revolution that abolished slavery. We are thankful for their sacrifices, as we would not be here without them.

Via Ohio University