In Hope of an Abolishment of Slavery: Review of Hannah More’s Poem

Slavery started in 1619, when a Dutch ship brought 20 African slaves ashore in the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia. Throughout the 17th century, European settlers in North America turned to African slaves as a cheaper, more plentiful labor source than indentured servants, who were mostly poor Europeans. After the American Revolution, many colonists — particularly in the North, where slavery was relatively unimportant to the agricultural economy — began to link the oppression of black slaves to their own oppression by the British, and to call for slavery’s abolition. More wrote Slavery, A Poem in hope of the abolition of slavery. She also wrote the poem in hope of influencing the others’ to join the abolition campaign and stand against slavery.

Hannah More’s poem “A Slavery” is one of the works that brought insight at the issue of slavery and called for the abolition of it; with the help of others as it requests for people to realize that racism and discrimination based on the color of a skin is absurd. Hannah More is an educator, writer and social reformer. She is also known for her writings on abolition of slavery and for encouraging people to join her and stand against slavery. More contributed to the abolition movement through her writings which helped spread awareness about the movement. More wasn’t always an activist nor was she a part of the abolition movement at first. In 1788, she met William Wilberforce and she learned about his abolition movement. She then joined William Wilberforce’s campaign with the goal of bringing awareness about the movement, and the goal of the abolishing of slavery. As a result, her poem “Slavery” came to life. The poem dramatically describes mistreated, enslaved African Americans separated from their family and it questions Britain's role in the Slave Trade. More clearly criticizes it along with those who are inferior of slavery. She attempts to persuade her readers and listeners to adopt an anti-slavery position. Not only that, More wants others to realize that Africans are just as the same as Whites. More refers to this later on in the poem and I am going to explain in the following lines. In her poem, More begins by telling us that this poem is like no other. This is going to be real life event and nit fictional. This is brilliant by More as she grabs our attention and from the very first line. She gives a reference to the work of Aphra Behn that wrote Oroonoko; More says: “For millions feel what Oroonoko felt”. More also adds to her credibility as she clearly conveys the horrible way these slaves are captured. Moreover, in this line More mentions the struggles of Oroonoko and how millions at the time are going through what he went through. Oroonoko is the story of an African prince that suffers from enslavement. Here More uses the present tense continues to emphasize that these slaves are suffering what Oroonoko suffered but they are still suffering. This does not fail in getting the readers’ attention to comprehend the great deal of injustices and suffering Africans experience. These two lines not only deliver the true state of the living standards these slaves have but they grant More a great sense of credibility.

I also love how More tackles this complicated issue. The topic of slavery, especially at the time was a heavy topic to discuss. However, More managed to discuss this issue with brilliantly. More uses several tactics to appeal to her readers’ logic and morals. More does so by directing questions. The questions were simple and More knew the answers to them; in matter of fact, she answers them in the next lines with examples. If we want to know why More asks these questions that she already knows the answers to we have to ask ourselves an important question. To whom is these questions directed at? The answer is to the public of Britain in particular and to the world in general. These questions challenge and move the logic in peoples’ minds in hopes that the answers will make the British community see for themselves that there is no difference between them and the Africans they continue to enslave and oppress. More asks: “Does then th’ immortal principle within, Change with the casual color of the skin?” She replies that “…No. They have heads to think, and hearts to feel, And souls…”. Later on , More briefly refers to the sad fate and life of the generation to come after their parents’ / grandparents’ enslavement. More says: “I see, by more than fancy’s mirror shown, The burning village and the blazing town: See the dire victim torn from social life … dragged by hostile hands, To distant tyrants sold … The sole sad heritage her child obtains!”. The author illiterates and repeats the same idea throughout the poem. She emphasizes that these slaves are not different than us and that they deserve to be treated accordingly not differently.

I have noticed a pattern that More follows as a strategy. She first grabbed our attention by telling us that what she was going to tell us in the poem is not fictional but rather real life. Then she talked about how slaves suffer, then she compared Africans with The Whites showing the British community that they are not different from each other. After that, More incorporates religion into her persuasion of the abolition of slavery. Not to mention, the way More argues that ending the slave trade will benefit the country as well. Thus, she makes it about the morals and religious factors.

These slaves helped Britain prosper as Britain was suffering from poverty and they had no food to grow. These slaves worked very hard for years and they managed to make Britain great again. The slaves didn’t only help with Britain’s agriculture. D. N. Ghosh, author of, Representation of Slavery in English Literature, talks about a 25 page survey by author W A Speck that catches the attention of readers. Ghosh explains that the growing of Britain's commercial prosperity was when they would sail they ships loaded with a cargo of manufactured goods in which they would exchange it in the next stop (on the Caribbean plantation) with the profit they make of that they sell 'Negros' with more profit. Moreover, he says;

‘there is not a brick in the city but what is cemented with the blood of a slave...mansions, the luxurious living and wealth was made from the trade of slaves and their suffering...no reader of English literature will ever understand the human misery and agony of slave trade’. 

After that, these slaves still long for their stolen rights with little to no regards to the suffering they experience. In addition, the article by Eltis, David, and Stanley L. Engerman, entitled “The Importance of Slavery and the Slave Trade to Industrializing Britain.” It answers an important question of the real importance that the slave systems of the Americas had to the economic development of Europe, and the development of that in Britain in specific. The article explores the time in 1788 when the initial attack on the British slave trade occurred. This attack led the Parliament to hold hearings on and collected information about all aspects of the trade in Africa, the West In- dies, and Great Britain. Needless to say this initiative from the parliament received backlash from slave traders as they try to end the abolition movement. Eltis, David, and Stanley L. Engerman explain the extent that these slave traders go to save their business. This is not surprising due to the fact that at the time slaves had a positive effect on the British economy. As per the authors, the British Caribbean was a part of the British domestic economy because almost all its trade was with British buyers and sellers. As a result, it should not be a surprise that this caused a new assessment of the importance of the eighteenth century slave systems to the British industrialization. The slave trade helped British economy blossom. There were several profitable ways in which Britain made a fortune at the expense of these slaves. This happened by exporting manufactured British goods to Africa and then further profits accrued from imported slave products such as sugar, which became prevalent within the British community. As the slave trade became profitable and a huge reason for the wider economy; financial, commercial, legal and insurance institutions all emerged to support and keep the slave trade. In addition, some traders became bankers and many new businesses were financed by profits made from slave trading. The slave trade played an important role in providing British industry with access to raw materials. This contributed to the increased production of manufactured goods.

Lastly, More attacks those in favor of slavery by saying: “scorning narrow views of time and place, Bids all be free in earth’s extended space”. She refers to the supporters of slavery as those with “narrow views.” Not to mention, More’s attack of Britain. More claims that if Britain wants to remain being a place “where the soul of Freedom reigns” then the abolition of slavery will suffice as everyone is going to be free. By doing so, More points out the hypocrisy of Britain’s stance on the slavery issue. More does not stop there, she goes on to beg Heavens to stop slavery. More says: “…Shall Britain, where the soul of Freedom reigns, Forge chains for others she herself disdains? Forbid it, Heaven! O let the nations know, The liberty she tastes she will bestow…”.

All in all, I have talked about how Hannah More uses her writings to help abolish Slavery. I have also analyzed several parts of the poem. In support of my points, I have presented two studies to back my arguments. Despite the repetitive nature of the poem, More managed to convey her thoughts and stance on slavery to her readers brilliantly.