Abolition Day (Guadeloupe)

Abolition Day is a public holiday in Guadeloupe, and it is observed on May 27 each year. The holiday commemorates the anniversary when slavery was abolished in Guadeloupe in 1848.

Guadeloupe is an overseas department of France and it is located in the Caribbean Sea. Indigenous people inhabited the island hundreds of years before Christopher Columbus arrived in 1493. The Spaniards failed to colonize the islands in the 16th century due to resistance from the native people.

The French established the colony of Guadeloupe in the 1600s. The British captured the islands in the Seven Years\’ War and returned to France in 1763. In 1810, the British captured it again and handed it to Sweden in 1813. However, Sweden ceded the islands to France in 1814.

In the early years, European settlers introduced sugar plantations and brought a large number of slaves to the island for the labour forces. The harsh working conditions led to the slave rebellions. In 1794, the French abolished slavery. However, in 1802, the French reinstated slavery which led to the slave rebellions. On April 27, 1848, slavery was abolished again in Guadeloupe, however, only on May 27, 1848, slavery abolition was enforced and the slaves were freed.

The following is the list of Abolition Day in Guadeloupe from 2022 to 2026.