In Jamaica, on August 1, 1838, thousands of ex-slaves who had gathered at town centres and churches in the British Caribbean territory broke into joyous celebrations after hearing the final words of the Emancipation Declaration, affirming their complete freedom from slavery. This momentous date represented the abolition of the dehumanising system that enslaved people of African descent in the British colony for over 150 years. Read about some of the players that championed the emancipation movement.