Instruction
Part 1.
Evaluate the role of Africans and slave revolts in the history of the abolition movement. (CO2 & 4)
British abolitionists were not the only ones who gathered support for the termination of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Although the dominant history has often revolved around the story of William Wilberforce and the abolition movement in Britain, historians also uncovered African voices both in favor of and against the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Historians also examined the role of slave revolts and revolutions, particularly the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), in propelling attitudes toward abolition of the trade and emancipation of slaves. In this discussion we will examine some of those historical accounts.
Based on your reading, consider the following questions in a post of at least 250 words:
1. What were the major African arguments regarding the continuation of the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
2. What role did African slaves, and former slaves, play in the abolition movement?
3. How did slave revolts contribute to abolition and emancipation in the Americas?
Part II
Based on your readings and the movie Amazing Grace, consider the following questions in a post of at least 250 words:
Compare and contrast the film and your reading for this week. What aspects of the film do you think correspond well with the historical reality?
1. How does Amazing Grace portray British abolitionists’ arguments in favor of abolition?
2. How does it portray the abolition movement’s unlikely success? What did filmmakers leave out or exaggerate?