John Newton: Slave Trader Turned Abolitionist

During the 18th century, slavery was a booming enterprise within the British Empire. The slave trade has been fairly well documented through the writings of abolitionists, supporters of the slave trade, and historians; however, not many of these sources have been written by a man who was both a slave trader and an abolitionist. John Newton was a slave trader who turned into a strong proponent of abolition in the mid 18thand early 19thcenturies (Newton, 2). The unique circumstances that John Newton operated under during his life make him an interesting subject for researching. Some historians attribute his shift from being a supporter of the slave trade to being an abolitionist to his conversion to Christianity in 1748 (Durnford). However, even though he committed himself to living a religious life in 1748, it was not until 40 years later in 1788 that he became a vocal opponent to the slavery industry (Newton). Due to the delayed reaction from Newton on the subject of slavery, it may have been more of a moral conflict rather than spiritual. John Newton’s involvement in both the slave trade and abolitionist movement impacted the British Empire’s colonization effort by furthering their “civilizing mission” and later in life by assisting in passing the Slave Act of 1807.

Born in 1725 in London, John Newton had an early interest in the sailing industry. His father was a shipmaster who worked in the Mediterranean for many years, and this sparked John’s interest in the sea (Durnford 2). His first voyage with his father began just after he turned eleven, and from that point forward he knew what his calling would be. His first experience working on a ship would come when he followed in his father’s footsteps and began work on a merchant ship in the Mediterranean Sea. However, this was very short-lived as he was captured by the British Navy while on a trading voyage in 1743. He spent a short time working with the Navy as a deckhand, but had constant conflicts with the captain of his ship which ultimately led to his decision to leave the Navy. Following this decision to leave his position in the British Navy, Newton boarded a ship bound for Africa, and this is where his involvement in the Atlantic slave trade began.

Upon his first voyage to Africa, Newton became more interested in the trade and saw it as a good opportunity to make a living as a slave trader. In the year 1750 John Newton became the captain of his own ship and set sail for Africa, which he would do a total of three times as the leader of an expedition (Newton 2). During these voyages, Newton would transport hundreds of African captives from Africa to the Caribbean on a route called The Middle Passage. The Middle Passage was the main route taken by slave traders at the time (Rediker 5). During the Atlantic Slave Trade, 1.8 million slaves perished due to poor conditions and harsh treatment (Rediker 5). John Newton contributed to this number, as he estimated that around half of all slaves he transported died during the journey to their destinations (Newton 35). By taking part in the slave trade, Newton had a direct connection to the horrors of the trade and ultimately the colonization that followed.

His involvement with the Atlantic Slave Trade was not very long-lived, but during his tenure he believed that he was different than other traders. He claims to have treated slaves humanely and given them more respect than other merchants, but this claim is not exactly justified in my research. He and his crew were in constant fear of an uprising, and due to this fact they kept the slaves in shackles at all times (Newton 15). They were kept below deck in such close quarters that, “they are frequently stowed so close, as to admit of no other posture than lying on their sides,” (Falconbridge 4). Having so much fear towards a group of people does not sound humane to me, especially when they are chained up like dogs and treated with less respect than the latter. Though Newton claims to have treated the slaves well, it is clear that this was not the case. His actions mirrored that of other traders and perpetrated the unjust and inhumane treatment of Africans. By partaking in the same activities, John Newton was only adding fuel to the fire and furthering the destruction caused by slavery; he was not true to his word and due to his actions he had an impact on the Atlantic Slave Trade and the British Empire.

During a particularly treacherous voyage in 1748 (prior to having his own ship), John Newton feared that his life was coming to an end. The ship was almost to the point of sinking so Newton made on last effort to save himself from death. He professed his allegiance to Christianity and prayed all night hoping to survive the storm. Apparently his praying worked. He survived the storm and from that point forward he became a devout Christian. His affiliation with Christianity assisted in forming his views on slavery and may have been a deciding factor in his exit from the industry in the 1750’s. Though this hypothesis may seem legitimate at first, upon further investigation it is clear that religion did not change his mindset enough to influence his opinion on the slave trade. It was not until forty years later in 1788 that he became a vocal opponent to the slave trade when he published his book titled Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade(Newton 1).His religious affiliation would ultimately alter his life and remove him from direct participation in the trade, however he continued to fund voyages and collect returns for many years after.

In regards to John Newton’s affiliation with Christianity, he was very interested with the religion from the point of his official conversion in 1748. During his time on slave ships, he began to realize the, “impression of the reality and providence of God” (Dunn 13). This realization led him to pursue a career as a priest back in England. Although he had a true passion for his religion and preaching the words of God, he had a difficult time becoming ordained. Many priests and bishops would not vouch for him and he was rejected multiple times by the church (Dunn 22). It was not until 1764 at the age of 39 that Newton became an ordained minister and began to lead his own congregation in Olney, England (Dunn 22). He preached at this location for some time and at this point he began writing religious hymns, his most famous being Amazing Grace. His religion was something near and dear to Newton’s heart, and while it did not play the deciding role in his conversion to abolitionist views, it definitely played a part.

In the year 1788 John Newton officially declared his stance on slavery as being rigidly opposed, therefore solidifying his views as abolitionist. These views were presented in the form of his book titled Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade, which was used extensively in my research. In this source, Newton outlined the horrors and wrongdoings associated with the slave trade. He admitted that he knew what he was doing was wrong and completely immoral, yet he did not cut ties until well after he left the trade. One of the most compelling quotes I found within the source reads, “The slave trade was always unjustifiable, but inattention and interest prevented, for a time, the evil from being perceived,” (Newton 7). His monetary interest in the slave trade may have been the blockade within his moral compass for justifying his involvement, but he never came out to say this directly. His abolitionist views were sparked by a meeting with William Wilberforce, which led to a long term friendship (Dunn29). Wilberforce was a member of the British Parliament and led the abolition movement in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. The partnership with Wilberforce furthered Newton’s involvement in the abolition movement. Newton was an influence on the Slave Act of 1807, which banned the slave trade in British territories. This was one of his biggest accomplishments as an abolitionist. John Newton died in 1807 at the age of 82, he lived just long enough to witness the Slave Act of 1807 be put into practice.

So how does John Newton fit into the British Empire and what kind of impact did his work have? To begin with, his involvement in the Atlantic slave trade played a major role in his impact on the empire. The slave trade resulted in millions of deaths, the spread of disease, deeply rooted racism and ultimately the British colonization and repression of Africa. While Newton is not directly responsible for all of these things, his role as a slave trader connects him to all of these consequences of slavery. The second way that John Newton impacted the British Empire was by his affiliation with the abolitionist movement. After publishing his famous book Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade in 1788, Newton became one of the most public and influential voices of the movement. His involvement was a key to the success of the movement, and in 1807, the Slave Act of 1807 was passed with his help. By working alongside abolitionists in Britain, John Newton helped dismantle the Atlantic save trade. Overall, John Newton was a very interesting and influential figure in his lifetime, and his actions had immense impacts that we still see today.

John Newton’s involvement in both the slave trade and abolitionist movements make him a very interesting figure in British history; his impact was large and he played a key role in furthering the British civilizing mission as well as the abolition of slavery. From an early age Newton had a love of sailing, and this passion brought him to the slave trade. During his time as a slave trader, Newton began to realize just how wrong the trade was, but he didn’t do anything about it. He also discovered his passion for religion while aboard the slave ships. He would later harness this passion and become an ordained minister and preach to his own congregation and also write many famous hymns. Following his tenure as a priest, Newton would publish his book, Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade, where he discussed the horrors of what he witnessed upon the slave ships. This book led him to become involved with the abolitionist movement. His involvement and assistance helped pass the Slave Act of 1807, one of the most important pieces of legislature in terms of ending slavery. At the time of his death, John Newton had just witnessed this act being passed. Not many people in history can claim to have been both a slave trader and an abolitionist, but John Newton can; his involvement in both enterprises makes him one of the most polarizing figures of the seventeenth century.

Works Cited

Dunn, John. "A Biography of John Newton." New Creation Library. Accessed March

2018.

Durnford, Revd. The Life and Works of John Newton.

Falconbridge, Alexander. An Account of the Slave Trade on the

Coast of Africa (London: J. Phillips, 1788).

Newton, John. Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade. Hansebooks, 2017.

Rediker, Marcus. The Slave Ship: A Human History. Toronto:

Penguin, 2007.