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Thomas ClarksonAbolitionist, famous fighter against the slave trade in the British Empire
Date of Birth: 28.03.1760
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Thomas Clarkson
Thomas Clarkson, an abolitionist and prominent fighter against the slave trade in the British Empire, was born on March 28, 1760, in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England. He studied at St. John's College, Cambridge, and was later ordained as a deacon. In 1785, the University of Cambridge held an essay competition titled "Is it right to make slaves of others against their will?" Clarkson had not previously pondered this question, but after extensive research, he presented his essay to the jury. He won the first prize, and his essay was proposed to be read by the University Senate.
Early Activism
Later, Clarkson described experiencing a revelation from God: "I must dedicate my life to the abolition of the slave trade." He reached out to Granville Sharp, who had initiated a campaign to abolish the slave trade. In 1787, Clarkson and Sharp founded the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Out of the twelve committee members, nine were Quakers. Influential figures such as John Wesley and Josiah Wedgwood, who was a Member of Parliament, supported the campaign and promised to represent their interests in the House of Commons. Clarkson was tasked with gathering information that would compel the government to pass a law abolishing the slave trade as soon as possible. His extensive work included interviews with 20,000 sailors and the collection of various torture devices used to punish and detain slaves, such as shackles, handcuffs, thumb screws, and tools for unlocking jaws.
Published Work and Legacy
In 1787, he published a pamphlet summarizing the activities of the slave trade and the possible consequences of its abolition. Clarkson was a brilliant writer, and Jane Austen, who strongly disagreed with his views on slavery, was so impressed with the style of his book that she later claimed it was impossible not to fall in love with the author based on just one such book. After the law abolishing the slave trade was passed in 1807, Clarkson published his book "The History of the Abolition of the African Slave Trade." It is worth noting that Clarkson was not entirely satisfied with the measures taken by Parliament, so he and Thomas Fowell Buxton formed the Committee for the Mitigation of the Effects of Slavery. Nevertheless, Clarkson had to wait until 1833 when Parliament passed a law on the complete abolition of slavery, granting freedom to all slaves in the British Empire. In his old age, Thomas Clarkson retired to Ipswich, Suffolk, where he passed away on September 26, 1846.
