Great slavery debate
William Wilberforce
Wilberforce was the son of a wealthy Merchant. When his father died he was
brought up by his religious aunt and uncle. He went on to study at Cambridge
before becoming an MP. One of his closest friends was the future Prime
Minister, William Pitt. Wilberforce tried many times to get his law for the
abolition of slavery passed by Parliament, but it was only in 1807 that the
slave trade was abolished and slavery completely banned in 1833, just a
month after his death.
Granville Sharpe
Granville Sharp was the son of an important clergyman (a sort of priest) and
the grandson of the Archbishop of York. Despite his family background, he
decided against a career in the church but worked as a lawyer. In 1765 Sharp
was living in East London when Jonathan Strong, a black man, arrived at the
house. Strong was a slave who had been so badly beaten by his master,
David Lisle, that he was close to death. Sharp took Strong to St.
Bartholomew's Hospital, where he had to spend four months recovering from
his injuries. Strong told Sharp how Lisle, had brought him to England from
Barbados. Lisle had apparently been dissatisfied with Strong's services and
after beating him with his pistol, had thrown him onto the streets. After
Jonathan Strong had regained his health, David Lisle paid two men to
recapture him. When Sharp heard the news he took Lisle to court claiming
that as Strong was in England he was no longer a slave. However, it was not
until 1768 that the courts ruled in Strong's favour. The case received national
publicity and Sharp was able to use this in his campaign against slavery. He
also took up the cases of other slaves such as Thomas Lewis and James
Somersett, and convinced the courts that "as soon as any slave sets foot
upon English territory, he becomes free." However, Granville Sharp was not
to see the final abolition of slavery as he died on 6th July, 1813.
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was born in Burslem, Stoke, in 1730. At the age of nine
Josiah left school and joined the family pottery business at Churchyard
Works. As well as becoming a successful entrepreneur, Wedgwood was a
campaigner for better living conditions for his workers and people living
across Britain at the time. He was also concerned about the way black people
were treated on British plantations in the West Indies and helped to form
helped to form the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Wedgwood
joined the committee and also produced the Abolition Society's seal which
showed a black slave in chains, kneeling, his hands lifted up to heaven. The
motto read: "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?" Wedgwood reproduced the
design in a cameo with the black figure against a white background and
donated hundreds of these to the Society for distribution. Thomas Clarkson,
another campaigner, wrote that "ladies wore them in bracelets, and others
had them fitted up in an ornamental manner as pins for their hair. At length
the taste for wearing them became general, and thus fashion, which usually
confines itself to worthless things, was seen for once in the honourable office
of promoting the cause of justice, humanity and freedom." Josiah Wedgwood
did not see the end of the slave trade as he died on 3rd January, 1795.
Olaudah Equiano
Olaudah was born in West Africa and was kidnapped by black slave traders
when he was about eleven. He was transported to Barbados. After a twoweek stay in the West Indies Equiano was sent to the English colony of
Virginia. He was later purchased by Captain Henry Pascal, a British naval
officer. Equiano saved whatever money he could, and in 1766 purchased his
freedom. He then worked closely with Granvile Sharpe and Thomas Clarkson
in the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Equiano spoke at a large.
Equiano published his own autobiography, The Life of Olaudah Equiano the
African in 1789. He travelled throughout England promoting the book. It
became a bestseller.
Thomas Clarkson
Clarkson was born in 1760 and was educated at St. John's College,
Cambridge, and was afterwards ordained as a deacon (a sort of priest). In
1785 Cambridge University held an essay competition with the title: "Is it
rights to make men slaves against their wills?" Clarkson had not considered
the matter before but after carrying out considerable research on the subject
submitted his essay. Clarkson won first prize and was asked to read his essay
to the University Senate. On his way home to London he had a spiritual
experience. He later described how he had "a direct revelation from God
ordering me to devote my life to abolishing the trade." Clarkson contacted
Granville Sharp, who had already started a campaign to end the slave-trade.
In 1787 Clarkson and Sharp formed the Society for the Abolition of the Slave
Trade.. Later they persuaded William Wilberforce, the MP for Hull, to be their
spokesman in the House of Commons. Thomas Clarkson was given the
responsibility of collecting information to support the abolition of the slave
trade. This included interviewing 20,000 sailors and obtaining equipment used
on the slave-ships such as iron handcuffs, leg-shackles, thumb screws,
instruments for forcing open slave's jaws and branding irons. Clarkson was a
brilliant writer and Jane Austin, who completely disagreed with his views on
slavery, was so impressed with his writing style that she claimed after reading
one of his books that she was "in love with its author".
The captain of a slave trading vessel, who is more concerned about the
money his human cargo will bring than their lives as individuals.
An auctioneer in Barbados, whose livelihood depends on the regular stream
of slaves coming across the Atlantic.
A wealthy Bristol Merchant, whose beautiful Georgian house has been built
on the profits of the Slave Trade
A plantation owner.
MP for Bristol
MP for Liverpool
MP for Glasgow
A supporter of William Wilberforce
John Newton
John Newton was the captain of a slave ship the Greyhound, who underwent
a miraculous conversion during a storm in 1748. Although he eventually lost
his sight, Newton campaigned against slavery until his death in 1807. He is
best known today for the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’.
A black slave who has bought his liberty and has come to England to
campaign for the ending of slavery
A black slave who has bought her liberty and has come to England to
campaign for the ending of slavery
The publisher of Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography.
The owner of a sugar refining factory in the West Indies
The captain of a slave trading vessel
A priest who thinks that Europeans are helping the African people by
converting them to slavery
A plantation owner, who looks after his slaves well by feeding them good food
and giving them shelter.
A surgeon on board one of the slave ships who has seen the horrors of the
‘Middle Passage’ – the journey to the West Indies from West Africa
The daughter of a wealthy merchant, who has only recently discovered that
her family have made their money trafficking slaves
A factory owner in the North of England who trades manufactured goods with
the black traders in West Africa
A slave who has worked on a cotton plantation all his life and wonders where
he will go if slavery is abolished
Someone who signed Wilberforce’s petition
A member of the society for the abolition of slavery
The Prime Minister and friend of Wilberforce, William Pitt
A sailor who works on board a slave ship, and who is sometimes asked to
whip the slaves
A dockworker in Liverpool
The wife of a rich plantation owner
The daughter of a plantation owner