Well, incredibly, now using the new tools of genealogy and DNA analysis, we can not only reestablish the lives of many of our slave ancestors and show their tales of torment on the one hand, but triumph on the other.

NPR: Scholar Helps Black Americans Trace Family Roots

On the other hand, the Britain that had enthusiastically participated in the slave trade in the 1700s threw its naval might into a crusade to banish slavery from the world in the 19th century.

ECONOMIST: The British empire