Final answer:
The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 ended slavery within the British Empire and included compensation of £20 million to slave owners. Black loyalists faced challenges yet contributed to settlements like Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone. This marked a significant advance in human rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The end of slavery in Britain saw Parliament agreeing to the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, which not only freed slaves within the British Empire but also stipulated compensation for slave owners. While the student's question claims that £20,000 was paid by Parliament for this purpose, historical records actually show that the government secured a much larger sum of £20 million to compensate slave owners for the loss of their 'property'.
Leading up to the Abolition Act, enslaved African Americans had sought freedom by following the British Army during the Revolutionary War. Despite the challenges they faced, including economic marginalization and restrictions on land ownership, black loyalists played a significant role in settling new communities, such as in Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone.
Through the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the labor of enslaved Africans was a cornerstone of British economic wealth, particularly in the Caribbean plantations. It was this immense contribution and the fight for human dignity that finally culminated in the enactment of the Abolition Act by British Parliament, marking a pivotal moment in human rights history.