The University of Aberdeen was formed when King’s College and Marischal College merged in 1860. Both colleges were centuries old by then, and both  received money deriving from slavery from the late 17th century. Gifts continued into the later 19th century from people who had inherited wealth that can be traced back to family involvement in slavery. Like other prestigious institutions in Britain, they were also involved in the debate on abolition, with faculty members both attacking and defending slavery.

Learn about abolitionism and anti-abolitionism at the university, Black abolitionist Olaudah Equiano's visit to Aberdeen, and how people connected to the university profited from slavery.