Abolitionist Medallion

1787

Josiah Wedgwood designed a symbol of anti-slavery protest.

Josiah Wedgwood established his luxury ceramics company in 1759. The company still thrives today, selling fine china and porcelain. Wedgwood’s company produced thousands of 18th-century anti-slavery medallions. The medallions were given freely, and they became a popular statement for people who opposed slavery. Though Wedgwood did profit from the slave trade indirectly, by selling to customers whose wealth came from enslaving people, he was an active member of the anti-slavery movement in England.