Chapter 1 Summary-BTC

In Chapter 1 of Hochschild’s Bury the Chains, John Newton was an Englishman whose involvement in the slave trade started at a young age and was not always easy, but he eventually was able to make a profit. After falling in love with Mary Catlett before departing on a trip, Newton kept a diary of all of his experiences on different ships involved in the slave trade. Newton was able to see the horrid conditions that most slaves faced when they were on board, but never showed his sympathy towards them even during hard times of his own. It was not uncommon to find Newton punishing the slaves or crew members on his ship for their rebellious plots against him. His life could have ended at several times, yet he was lucky enough to always walk away from his voyages alive. Newton learned the tricks of the slave trade by relying on mortality rates, time of year, and profits. Despite all of his contact with slaves, he never thought to rise up against it. Instead, he only profited from it.