What are the differences and similarities between the movie Amazing Grace and the American abolition movement?

Question

Movie debuted a couple of weeks ago...

Answer 1

The one major flaw in the Amazing Grace movie is there is too much emphasis on the role played by William Wilberforce.

It is undeniably true that his Bill to abolish slavery, which passed into law in the House of Commons in 1807, was the starting point of the end of slavery. However, this is not the end of the story, nor does it do credit to major Black abolitionists.

Wm Wilberforce was a high ranking Tory and had little or now real interest in Black people and hardly knew or ever met any. In deed, all he really wanted to do was stop the slave trade but allow existing slaves to continue working out their lives as slaves.

Wm. Wilberforce, for all that I have said of him above, was a good Christian man. He was rich and lived the life of a gentleman and had no concept of having to work physically for a living.

I have not seen the movie Amazing Grace but will no doubt see it in good time.

The slave trade was the worst abomination perpetrated by one group of humans upon another.

If you go to the House of Commons website, you should be able to find the four hour speech made by Wilberforce in the Commons on the day his Bill finally got through. It is said to have been the best speech ever made in the House of Commons. [Not even Winston Churchill could match Wilberforce. Both were Tories].

Citizens of the United States of America - know ye this; that while George Washington had twelve black slaves in his house, our late soverign His Majesty King George III had no slaves and believed that slavery should be abolished. He remained unto his dying day a Liberal at heart.