Should Britain pay up? Commonwealth leaders argue the UK owes them money to right the wrongs of the slave trade.
Row deepens over slavery reparations
Should Britain pay up? Commonwealth leaders argue the UK owes them money to right the wrongs of the slave trade.
Commonwealth leaders have demanded that Britain offer reparationsProviding payment to make amends for a wrongdoing. for its role in the slave tradeThe Atlantic slave trade was the transporting of Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to be slaves in the Americas. It took place from the 16th to the 19th Centuries. .
Reparations are payments made to victims to compensateTo give someone something to make up for their loss of something else. for harm caused.
Some argue Britain used the hard work of millions of slavesPeople who are forced to work without being paid. to become the richest, most powerful country in the world.
Now, they claim, it owes the great-great-great-grandchildren of slaves payments to make up for the wealth it stole.
Others claim Britain got rich through its own technological know-how, not slavery. And then it spent £20m - around £17bn in today's money - ending slavery.
What is the truth? Over three centuriesHundreds of years., Britain shipped more than three million Africans to the Americas, where they were enslaved. They were packed into boats and faced terrible suffering.
When they arrived in the coloniesArea or countries under the control of another nation. , they were often separated from their families. The cotton and sugar they harvested were sent back to Britain.
When Britain abolishedTo get rid of a rule or practice. slavery in 1833, it did pay out - to the slaveowners. The slaves received nothing.
Should Britain pay up?
Yes! Millions of Africans suffered and died to make Britain rich. It left their own countries poor. This is a terrible wrong that has never been made right. Now is the time to act.
No! There have been many terrible wrongs throughout history. We cannot possibly right all of them. We can only move on from the past and try to make a more equal future.
Reparations - Providing payment to make amends for a wrongdoing.
Slave trade - The Atlantic slave trade was the transporting of Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to be slaves in the Americas. It took place from the 16th to the 19th Centuries.
Compensate - To give someone something to make up for their loss of something else.
Slaves - People who are forced to work without being paid.
Centuries - Hundreds of years.
Colonies - Area or countries under the control of another nation.
Abolished - To get rid of a rule or practice.
Row deepens over slavery reparations

Glossary
Reparations - Providing payment to make amends for a wrongdoing.
Slave trade - The Atlantic slave trade was the transporting of Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to be slaves in the Americas. It took place from the 16th to the 19th Centuries.
Compensate - To give someone something to make up for their loss of something else.
Slaves - People who are forced to work without being paid.
Centuries - Hundreds of years.
Colonies - Area or countries under the control of another nation.
Abolished - To get rid of a rule or practice.