Slavery in Barbados officially ended on August 1, 1834, when the British Parliament passed the Act for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Colonies. However, the process of emancipation was gradual. After the act's implementation, enslaved people continued to work under an apprenticeship system until August 1, 1838, when they were finally granted full freedom. August 1st is now celebrated in Barbados as Emancipation Day, a national holiday. This period marked the formal end of slavery and the transition toward freedom on the island.