In 1835 the British Government borrowed some money. Rather a lot, in fact: £20 million. About 40% of the Treasury's annual income. 5 percent of their GDP. Much obliged, Messrs Nathan Mayer Rothschild and Moses Montefiore, where do we sign and might one borrow your quill?
Five years ago they finally paid it off and HM Treasury thought it might make a nice story. So they tweeted it out. Hello everyone we just paid off the loan we took out in 1835 for the Slavery Abolition Act, doesn’t that make you feel good, your taxes helped free slaves.
They perhaps were expecting to hear nice one HM Treasury, but no. Rather, people stopped, blinked and said, wait what are you saying here exactly. What then quickly became clear was: the money had been borrowed to compensate people for having to give up their property. And here, property means: human beings.
