What would you say to a slave trader in 1806 England or 1860 U.S. who feared for his or her profession?
Go back and listen to my conversations with the writers who wrote on slavery:
- Adam Hoschschild and his book Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves
- Eric Metaxas and his book Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery
- Manisha Sinha and her book The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition
- Andrés Reséndez and his book The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America
England banned the slave trade in 1807. The U.S. started our Civil War in 1861. People who made their living from slavery must have seen the ends of their professions coming.
According to those books, slavery had existed by then for thousands of years, as far as they knew in every culture. Many felt it was good and right. They feared for their livelihoods, ways of life, families, and communities.
What would you say to someone who depended on the slave trade who didn’t want things to change?
They may have invested their lives and savings into boats and other equipment, with their families depending on income they would soon lose. People opposing slavery would have seemed outsiders, not understanding their challenges.
What would you say to them?
What would you say to them, given their fears and views?
What excuses are acceptable for someone to do something they want to but hurts others?
Would you answer differently then than today?
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