Chapter 9 Summary- BTC

In Chapter 9, William Wilberforce became an influential speaker at the House of Commons speaking on behalf of the anti-slavery movement. As more support was needed, pamphlets and books were translated into many different languages and sent all across the world. Hand-delivered letters were also given out in London in order to serve as a “fundraiser” to gain support. A significant supporter of this movement was John Newton. Newton had sent out an apology letter confessing all of his experiences and knowledge with the cruelties of slavery which was quite useful for evidence to support this cause. Testimonies given by Falconbridge were extremely detailed and helped those unaware of the cruelties of slavery to get a grasp of what the conditions were really like. Another significant moment occurred when Sir William Dolben helped pass a bill limiting the number of slaves that could be placed on a ship and required a death list of both slaves and crew members. Just as the movement was becoming overwhelming, all bills sent to Parliament were put on hold because of King George’s illness.

Comment: While reading this chapter, I was shocked for two reasons. The first reason was because Newton re-entered the story in general. The second reason was because of Newton’s change of heart and his apology letter. I could not believe he finally came to terms with the horrors he witnessed and that he was willing to give accounts of his experiences for evidence. It was interesting to see Newton in such a new and positive light after having such negative feelings towards him from the previous chapters.