Chapter 11 Summary-BTC

In Chapter 11, King George III had finally become sane again and the plans to push anti-slavery bills were able to continue. When proslavery traders mentioned taking their business overseas, the need for this movement to become international grew even more. Clarkson was an influential member at the hearings as he showed his sample case of all of the African trading goods he collected. Clarkson gained help form James Phillips after creating a diagram to show how tightly packed the slave ships were and how unsafe the conditions were. After having this diagram published in newspapers and magazines, more people from around the world turned their attention to the issue of slavery. The picture spoke louder than words in some instances and really exposed people to the unfair life of the slaves. James Stephen also reappears as he takes a stance against slavery after trying to prosecute a white man who beat two slave children. James Arnold was also able to contribute to these meetings before the Council by giving a testimony grounded in all of the experiences he had had with slavery. In 1789, Wilberforce finally made his speech against slavery, but unfortunately once again, the bill was sent to the Commons and then was postponed. Clarkson set out to find more and new witnesses that could help him prepare for the next hearing.

Comments: Using pictures of what the slave ships looked like and how cramped they were was a really good strategy to use to persuade others to join their cause. Images can speak louder than words sometimes and in a picture as detailed and horrifying as the one presented, no words are necessary to get a message across to others. This definitely proved to be an effective strategy and like the book mentioned, it was not like others could show pictures of slaves being happy on slave ships.This technique really helped their cause gain more support and raise awareness around the world about the conditions of the slave vessels.