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Table of Contents
English abolitionist Thomas Clarkson was best known for his leadership in the campaign to end the slave trade in the British Empire. He aided the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807.
See the fact file below for more information about Thomas Clarkson, or download the comprehensive worksheet pack, which contains over 11 worksheets and can be used in the classroom or homeschooling environment.
Key Facts & Information
Early Life
- On March 28, 1760, in Cambridgeshire, England, he was born as the Reverend John Clarkson’s eldest son.
- He and his four-year-old brother, John, attended Wisbech Grammar School in Hill Street, where they lived.
- When his father died, his family moved to Bridge Street. He enrolled at St. Paul’s School in London in 1775.
- In 1779, he enrolled at St. John’s College, Cambridge. Despite enjoying his time at university, his academic performance was excellent.
- In 1783, he received his degree in Bachelor of Arts. Following his father’s footsteps, he decided to study for the Anglican ministry at Cambridge.
- He achieved ordination as a deacon but did not proceed to the priest’s orders.
The Essay on Slavery
- He entered a Latin essay competition hosted by their university in 1785.
- Peter Peckard, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, gave the topic Anne liceat invitos in servitutem dare. It translates to “Is it lawful to make slaves of others against their will?” in English.
- He pushed through the essay by thinking about the slave trade issues.
- He read everything he could about the topic, as he should, to produce competing essays.
- Francis Moore’s Travels into the Interior Parts of Africa was one of the works he used for research. It was a first-person account of the African slave trade.
- He won the competition, but his thoughts on the subject did not stop there. Slavery had a more profound impact on him. He was saddened to discover through his research that he wished the content of his essays were false. It was most likely the catalyst for him to dedicate his life to combating the slave trade.
- In 1786, he published a pamphlet containing an English translation of his Latin Essay so that a wider audience could understand it.
- Through his essay, he influenced many people and was introduced to those who shared his sympathies for the abolition of slavery, such as James Ramsay and Granville Sharp.
Campaign Against Slave Trade
- Clarkson joined a small group, which included Quakers, to influence the decisions of parliamentarians, as encouraged by his essay.
- He, Josiah Wedgwood, and Granville Sharp founded the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade in May 1787.
- He also sought assistance from the Anglican and MP William Wilberforce, who was one of the few MPs sympathetic to the Quaker petitions.
- He presided over the Committee while gathering evidence in support of the abolition of the slave trade. He undoubtedly faced strong opposition from slave trade supporters, who were such a powerful group that they were able to continue the slave trade legitimately.
- Liverpool was the traders’ main base. In 1787, he paid a visit to the city and was nearly killed when he was attacked by a paid gang of sailors assigned to assassinate him.
- With his speech at the collegiate church on October 28, 1787, he refueled Manchester’s anti-slavery campaign.
- Later that year, he published A Summary View of the Slave Trade and of the Probable Consequences of Its Abolition in the form of a pamphlet.
- He spent the next two years promoting the campaign and gathering evidence across England, interviewing approximately 20,000 sailors.
- He was able to collect evidence such as iron handcuffs, leg shackles, thumbscrews, instruments for forcing open jaws, and branding irons. He disseminated it by publishing a pamphlet with engraves of the instruments.
- He paid a visit to The Lively, an African trading ship. It carried high-end items such as carved ivory and woven textiles. Even though it was not used in the slave trade, he was dismayed that people with high-quality craftsmanship producing such products were being enslaved. He brought samples of the products and began a collection.
- He recognized the power of images and artifacts and began displaying his collection while still campaigning against slavery. He continued to write anti-slavery content using firsthand accounts from sailors, ship surgeons, and other enslaved people.
- In 1788, he published the Essay on the Impolicy of the African Slave Trade and the testimony of a sailor who had served in a slave ship entitled An Essay on the Slave Trade the following year.
- His works served as a wake-up call making William Wilberforce do his first speech as an abolitionist in the House of Commons on May 12, 1789.
- He requested that Rev Thomas Jones MA introduce him to Olaudah Equiano.
- Equiano was a member of the Sons of Africa and published his memoir, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, which detailed his experiences with the slave trade and slavery.
Parliamentary Campaign
- Wilberforce introduced the first anti-slavery trade Bill in 1791, but it was easily defeated.
- After acquiring a slave ship plan in Portsmouth, he published an image of enslaved people loaded on the slave ship. He used the image in his lectures and gave Wilberforce a copy for use in parliament.
- Almost every year, Wilberforce introduced a motion in favor of abolition.
- He collaborated with Wilberforce and the other Committee members to create a national movement to express public opinion. The parliament refused to pass the bill, which was hampered further by the outbreak of war with France.
- Secretary of State for War Henry Dundas directed Jamaican Lieutenant-Governor Sir Adam Williamson to sign an agreement promising the restoration of the Ancien Regime with representatives of the French colonists of Saint Domingue, modern-day Haiti.
- The Ancien Regime, also known as the Old Regime, was France’s political and social system from 1500 to 1789, which abolished the feudal system and hereditary monarchy.
- In 1804, he and his allies revived the anti-slave trade campaign as soon as the war was over. He began gathering support across Great Britain as he was convincing the MPs to back the campaign in the parliament.
- In 1807, the slave trade officially ended through the Act requiring the British navy to enforce the law. He turned to extend the campaign to France and Spain.
- In 1808, he published a book containing the progress of the anti-slave trade campaign.
Death
- His health had been deteriorating since 1794 as a result of exhaustion from the campaign.
- He died on September 26, 1846, after acquiring a severe fever. He was buried at St. Mary’s Church six days after he died.
- The collections he used in the anti-slave trade campaign were exhibited at Wisbech & Fenland Museum.
Thomas Clarkson Worksheets
This bundle includes 11 ready-to-use Thomas Clarkson worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about Thomas Clarkson, who was an English abolitionist best known for his leadership in the campaign to end the slave trade in the British Empire.
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- Thomas Clarkson Facts
- Thomas’ Life Facts
- Essay Writing
- Matching Type
- Nonconformists
- Anti-slavery Movement
- Inhumane Evidence
- Slave Trade Act
- Liverpool
- Publications
- Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Thomas Clarkson abolish slavery?
He, Josiah Wedgwood, and Granville Sharp founded the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade in May 1787.
Who is Thomas Clarkson and what did he do?
English abolitionist Thomas Clarkson was best known for his leadership in the campaign to end the slave trade in the British Empire.
What did Thomas Clarkson believe?
He won the competition, but his thoughts on the subject did not stop there. Slavery had a more profound impact on him. He was saddened to discover through his research that he wished the content of his essays were false. It was most likely the catalyst for him to dedicate his life to combating the slave trade.
What did Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce do?
He collaborated with Wilberforce and the other Committee members to create a national movement to express public opinion. The parliament refused to pass the bill, which was hampered further by the outbreak of war with France.
Who abolished slavery first?
Secretary of State for War Henry Dundas directed Jamaican Lieutenant-Governor Sir Adam Williamson to sign an agreement promising the restoration of the Ancien Regime with representatives of the French colonists of Saint Domingue, modern-day Haiti.
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