5: Individuals Flashcards
3 key individual
clarkson
wilberforce
equiano
clarkson essay
won an essay competition whilst at cambridge
“is it lawful to enslave the unconsenting?”
1786 published
attracted many figures to the cause e.g. wilberforce
why was clarkson’s essay particularly significant?
attracted many figures to the cause
although quakers had launched their abolition campaign in 1783, it was not until 1786 (when the essay was published) that the movement gained notable support
how many copies of clarkson’s essay were published
10,000
as well as writing an essay, clarkson was a ___
researcher
clarkson travelled more than ____ miles to _____
35,000 across britain
to collect evidence and deliver lectures
clarkson’s items
used items from ships e.g. manacles
and also african cultural items e.g. pottery
which helped to humanise the slaves
clarkson’s founding of branches
helped to found 1200 branches of the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade
what did Clarkson do in 1790
visited 317 ships
spoke to 3000 sailors
why was clarkson’s travels significant
gave moral weight to the argument
why was wilberforce most significant
was his bill that eventually became the 1807 abolition act
wilberforce significance in the movement
brought the case to the house of commons
but had the groundwork not been done by others (e.g. clarkson) this wouldn’t have happened
wilberforce as a figure in parliament
gave the movement a figurehead
raised the profile of the slave issue
1789 made his first speech
1791 onwards
wilberforce presented a bill until 1799 in every parliamentary session
but it was usually introduced late in the session and members had little time to consider so were routinely defeated
wilberforce and france
in the wake of the french revolution and wars 1793 onwards, he gave respectability and credibility to the movement as parliament feared revolution and radical groups
who was olaudah equiano
ex-slave who was eventually able to buy his own freedom
equiano autobiography
1789
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano
first hand account of the slave trade
why were black abolitionists significant
greater sense of moral weight - no longer an abstract
and dispelled misconceptions - africans were not uncivilised
one other way that equiano raised profile of trade
speaking tours
equiano group
in 1787 he joined the Sons of Africa
with Ottobah Cugano and other Africans
toured and lobbied parliament
1788 significance
the Sons of Africa organised a march in support of the Dolben Act bill (would be passed soon after)
fought for better conditions on slave ships as the act regulated numbers
equiano marriage and death
married an englishwoman
died 1797 and left an estate worth £950 (£80,000 in today’s money)
