Looking Back, Moving Forward: Documenting the Heritage of African Nova Scotians

Nova Scotia Royal Gazette, (Volume XXXII Number 27 on page 4, column 1, first section) an item is entitled 'Slave Emancipation: the following is an abstract of the ministerial plan for the Abolition of Slavery, which has been submitted to the deputation of the West India proprietors'.

While ending slavery, Emancipation set out the terms of the "apprenticeship" contracts under the Act. Under the Act, 75% of the person's work time would be allocated as compensation to the employer for food and housing. This led to an "anti-apprenticeship" movement and colonial legislatures in the West Indies had abolished it by 1838.

Date: 3 July 1833

Reference: Nova Scotia Archives Nova Scotia Royal Gazette Volume XXXII, Number 27, Halifax, 3 July 1883