Name: Scotland's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Start: 2026-03-19T18:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-19T20:00:00+00:00
Location: Advocates Library

Explore Scotland’s hidden history and impact in the Transatlantic Slave Trade—join us in person!
About this Event

Join the Tumbling Lassie as we explore Scotland's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade with Lisa Williams of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association.

There has been fierce debate in the past few years over the role of prominent Scottish historical figures in the Transatlantic slave trade system. But what if a more nuanced historical dialogue allowed us to understand the complexity of the issues and the personalities involved? This talk will revisit some well-known legal figures and dust away some of the simplistic myths that have grown up around them.

Why was Lord Mansfield's very narrow ruling in the Somerset vs Stewart case of 1772 mistakenly understood to mean slavery was illegal in England? How were Henry Dundas' ideas similar to his abolitionist counterparts in the Danish government and those of MP Edmund Burke? Edinburgh-born Henry Brougham successfully tightened up loopholes in the 1807 Slave Trade Abolition Act and helped to usher in the 1833 Emancipation Act, yet compensation to slave holders still categorised enslaved African people as property.

It's easy to judge historical figures and easy to act when there's nothing much at stake. How can revisiting the past inspire us to act with bravery and integrity when facing contemporary problems of equal complexity? Come out for what will surely be a stimulating discussion and an evening to remember.

About Lisa Williams

Lisa Williams is an Honorary Fellow in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh and is a guest lecturer on undergraduate and postgraduate courses at universities across Scotland, including the undergraduate course in Global Law at University of Edinburgh. She is the founder of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association and curates education programmes, arts events and walking tours to promote awareness of Black Scottish history and links between Scotland and the Caribbean. Lisa works as a trainer and consultant to heritage organisations, has co-curated exhibitions and written for academic and popular audiences. Her latest publication is a children's book, the Big Book of UK History, published by Penguin Random House, and has another history book for adults in press.