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Explore the lives of William Wilberforce, John Newton, and Olaudah Equiano in this historical account of their fight against slavery. Follow their dedicated efforts to change the course of history during Black History Month.
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3 MEN & A DREAMThe Politician, The Preacher and The SlaveWRITE DOWN ONLY WHAT YOU SEE IN BLACK. IT IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, ISN’T IT?
William Wilberforce was born in Hull in 1759.He was a deeply religious man who dedicated his whole life to fighting a number of causes. He became a Member of Parliament for Hull, and later for Yorkshire.
He is most remembered as the member of Parliament who campaigned to abolish the Slave Trade.
William went to school in Hull and in London. When he was seventeen, in 1776 he went to Cambridge University.
While in college he met hislifelong friend, William Pitt, the future Prime Minister. Their friendship grew when they started to attend the gallery of the House of Commons to watch the politicians debating. Wilberforce really wanted to be a politician when he graduated.
He also became very interested in Religion, becoming a very committed Christian.
Wilberforce was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Hull in 1780.Wilberforce spent £8,000 on the election and roasted an ox to encourage people to vote for him. He was elected an MP for Yorkshire in 1784.
Wilberforce became interested in the abolition of the slave trade and slavery in the 1780s.
“The promoters of abolition are either fanatics or hypocrites and in one of these class I rank Mr Wilberforce” King William IV Wilberforce was concerned over raising the abolition issue in Parliament due to the wealth invested in the slave trade by MPs. He made many enemies. He concentrated first on the abolition of the slave trade and then the complete abolition of slavery.
“I must speak of the transit of the slaves in the West Indies. This I confess, in my own opinion, is the most wretched part of the whole subject. So much misery condensed in so little room, is more than the human imagination had ever before conceived” Wilberforce made his first abolition speech in 1789. For many years, he presented the abolition bill to Parliament and it kept being defeated.
The campaign involved many people, not just Wilberforce.People in Britain boycotted sugar because it was made by slaves on plantations. The anti-slavery campaign had a slogan:‘Am I not a man and a brother?’
In 1807, the Abolition of the Slave Trade Bill was finally passed. It became illegal in Britain to buy and sell people. Parliament gave a round of applause to Wilberforce who had tears running down his face.
It wasn’t until 1833, that the Abolition of Slavery Act was passed.Wilberforce died three days later.
It’s time to review What was the slogan for the anti-slavery movement? Am I Not a Man and a Brother Did Will Wilberforce live to see his dream come true? He died 3 days after the Abolition of Slavery act passed What job did his best friend in college get later on in his life? Prime Minister Which problem did he want to fix first? He wanted stop the slave trade first Did you know that William was friends with the slave? Yes, I did
John Newton • He was born the son of a Captain of a Merchant ship • His mom died when he was 7 so he went to boarding school for 4 years • At age 11, his dad took him out to sea.
John Newton • He only took 6 journeys with his dad before he retired. • He worked on a Mediterranean Merchant ship for about a year. • On a trip to visit some friends he was captured and forced to join the Royal Navy
John Newton • He rose to the rank of mid-shipmen (low ranking officer) • He tried to escape and was captured. He was tied to a fence and given 12 lashes across his back ( a flogging) • The Entire 350 man crew watched. • He was demoted and eventually transferred to a slave ship. Where he soon became captain.
One night his ship was caught in a huge storm and it started sinking. He prayed to God to save him and his crew. When his prayers were answered he changed his life and became a preacher. He realized what he had been doing was inhumanly wrong and he wanted to help the people he used to transport His gift to all of us was this:
Review for Act 2 What was the highest rank he achieved while in the Royal Navy? Midshipman What is a flogging? Getting whipped on your back Why did he ask God for help? He was afraid his ship would sink Did you know that the preacher ministered to the politician? That is news to me
Act 3 The Slave
Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa Which one do you prefer?
Olaudah Equiano was born in modern day Nigeria in 1745. • He and his sister were kidnapped by another tribe when he was11 years old. • Olaudah was next sold to white slave traders who put him on a ship for the Americas. This was the first time he saw the ocean. • The slave ship crossed the Atlantic Ocean and arrived in Barbados in the West Indies in 1756. • Equiano did not speak English. He did not know how to read or write. • He did not know where he was going or what was happening to him.
No one bought Olaudah in Barbados. He went on another ship to an English Colony in Virginia. • A British Navy officer, Michael Henry Pascal, bought Olaudah and was his master for 7 years. He brought him to England. • When in England, Olaudah learned to read and write. Olaudah also learned to speak English. • Later, Olaudah traveled all around the world with Lt. Pascal. • Lt. Pascal promised to give Olaudah his freedom, but he never did. In 1763, Lt. Pascal sold Olaudah to a new master, Mr. King. • Olaudah made himself very useful to Mr. King and learned more about commerce and trade.
FREEDOM • He earned enough money from working in commerce to buy his freedom from Mr. King. • He lived in England and became an abolitionist • He lectured against the cruelty of British slave owners • He spoke out against the English slave trade • He worked to resettle freed slaves in Sierre Leone • He wrote his Narrative (auto-biography) in 1789 • This was the first slave narrative and the first book published in England that was written by an African. • Olaudah’s principal reason for writing his narrative was to evoke compassion for the miseries suffered by Africans in the slave trade
Use you imagination and visualize the setting as I read some of his book. Chapter 2
Review Let’s think a little bit. Why do you think no one bought Olaudah in Barbados? Since he helped freed slaves settle in Sierre Leone why didn’t he settle there also? What do you think he got out of traveling all over the world with Lt. Pascal? Was Mr. King being smart by letting him buy his freedom? Do you think his book helped people understand what slavery was like? Why didn’t he ever try to escape?
