Month: February 2023

1840 Anti-Slavery Convention

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The London 1840 World Anti-Slavery Convention was a historic event that took place in June 1840 in London, England. It was organized by the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society and was attended by delegates from all over the world, including the United States, Canada, and various European countries. The convention was held in response to the growing global movement against slavery and the slave trade, and it aimed to bring together abolitionists from different countries to coordinate their efforts and exchange ideas. The convention was held at the Freemason’s Hall…

Irish History Podcast on Ireland and the Anti Slavery Movement

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Very interesting podcast on Ireland and the abolitionist movement. Fin Dwyer talks to historian Christine Kinealy on how from the 1790s onwards numerous Black anti-slavery activists visited Ireland to build support for the abolition of the slave trade and slavery itself. This would see some of the most famous African Americans in history including Frederick Douglas visit Ireland. Info at https://irishhistory.bigcartel.com/ To learn more slavery in Belfast, sign up for the ANTI SLAVERY BELFAST TOUR via the website.

William Drennan

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William Drennan was born in Belfast in 1754. He was one of 11 siblings, but only 3 survived infancy. Drennan studied at the University of Glasgow, a centre of the Scottish Enlightenment. He came to national attention through his publication of “Letters of Orellana,” supporting radical constitutional reform. In 1791, Drennan proposed a “benevolent conspiracy” for the “Rights of Man” and independence for Ireland. In 1793, he was arrested for sedition, but successfully defended himself at trial. Though Drennan did not write extensively about abolition, his friends, family and associates…

Slavery justification in the bible

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The Bible was used by both abolitionists and pro-slavery campaigners to support their views. Some passages to support slavery included: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.” (Ephesians 6:5) “Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.” (1 Peter 2:18) “When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his…

Richard Allen

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Richard Allen was born to Edward and Ellen Allen at Harold’s Cross near Dublin. He was the second of fifteen children. An orthodox Quaker, his business was in textiles but his interests were in reform, temperance and the abolition of slavery. He married Ann Webb in 1828. In 1837, Allen was one of three founding members, with James Haughton and Richard Davis Webb, of the Hibernian Antislavery Association. This was not the first antislavery association but it was acknowledged to be the most active. Allen served as the secretary of…

Olaudah Equiano

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Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa, was a prominent African American writer, abolitionist, and merchant who lived in the 18th century. He was born in what is now Nigeria in 1745 and was enslaved as a child. After being transported to the British colonies in the Americas, he worked to purchase his freedom and eventually became a successful merchant, sailor, and writer. It is not clear if Equiano ever visited Belfast, Northern Ireland. However, as a sailor, he may have traveled to various ports throughout the British Empire, including…

Samuel Ringgold Ward

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Samuel Ringgold Ward (1817-1866) was an African American abolitionist, clergyman, and social reformer who lived in the 19th century. He was born in Maryland and became involved in the abolitionist movement in the 1830s and 1840s, working to end slavery in the United States. Ward was a charismatic speaker and was known for his powerful oratory skills, which he used to advocate for the abolition of slavery and the rights of African Americans. He travelled extensively throughout the United States and Europe, giving lectures and speeches on the abolitionist cause.…

Watchmaking and anti-slavery

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Belfast produced not one but two abolitionist watch makers. Thomas McCabe was the first and the second was Robert Neill, on High Street from 1803. Neill supplied watches, clocks, marine chronometers, optical equipment & jewellery. Some of the company’s oldest public clocks are still extant in Belfast. Robert Neill lost his wife, Letitia Ireland, in 1845, and dedicated his remaining days to helping others. A particular passion was the abolition of slavery. As an influential member of the Belfast Anti-Slavery Society he hosted three of the greatest American abolitionists, in…

JohnNewton 1725-1807

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John Newton was born in Wapping, London. By the age of eleven he was serving on his father’s ship sailing to the Mediterranean. Later he was press ganged onto HMS Harwich eventually being exchanged for a merchant seaman. He resumed life in the maritime trade working on the West African coast buying slaves. For a time he was ‘enslaved’ himself and forced to work on a plantation. In 1747 he was rescued and returned to England on a ship called the ‘Greyhound’. The ‘Greyhound’ traded on gold, ivory, beeswax and…

The Zong massacre

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The Zong was a slave ship that sailed from Accra on 18 August 1782 with 442 enslaved people, heading for Jamaica. During the voyage, due to a navigational error it was believed that the ship was further from its destination than presumed that the ship did enough drinking water for all on board. The crew decided to throw 142 slaves overboard and the insurance they had taken out to minimise their expected financial loss. The insurers refused to pay up and slave owners took the insurers to court and brought…