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Thomas Clarkson (1760–1846) was born at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England was a leading campaigner against the slave trade. Whilst at Cambridge he...
Continued Below Added: 2nd Sep 2007 by Diane Earl
Unique Id: 72762 |
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entered a Latin essay competition on.the topic 'Is it lawful to enslave the unconsenting?' It changed his life. He was appalled by what he discovered and whilst travelling between Cambridge and London, he wrote: 'A thought came into my mind, that if the contents of the Essay were true, it was time some person should see these calamities to their end'. He devoted his life to the cause that had been founded by Quakers, with support from other Puritans or nonconformists. Clarksons co-founded the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade in May 1787. Clarkson also approached the young William Wilberforce, who as an (Evangelical) and one of very few parliamentarians to have had sympathy with the Quaker petition. He travelled widely and wrote anti slavery works. He also introduced The publication of a narrative by an African with direct experience of the slave trade and slavery. In 1789 Clarkson wrote to the Rev. Mr. Jones at Trinity College, introducing Gustavus Vassa (Olaudah Equiano) the African anti-slavery author. Clarkson travelled widely giving speeches for the cause and often encountering hostility. In his travels he used a box of evidence 'Clarkson's Box' that is kept at the Wisbech Museum. After the passage of the Slave Trade Act in 1807 his efforts were mainly directed towards ensuring the enforcement of the act and seeking to further the campaign in the rest of Europe.
Subjects: History
Key Stages: KS2, KS3, KS4, KS4+ Learning Groups: Teachers, Parents, Pupils, Others |
