Rough Crossings and Amazing Grace

Simon Shama's Rough Crossings, and the film Amazing Grace both provided insight into a very sensitive time period in history, that is the slave trade. However, both Rough Crossings and Amazing Grace are notable accounts of this time period because they offer a British perspective of the slave trade. Something that is worth examining from Rough Crossings and Amazing Grace, are the roles of John Clarkson and William Wilberforce. Amazing Grace does not address the role of John Clarkson, but Rough Crossings does a terrific job at emphasizing his important role in the history of the British slave trade. William Wilberforce was not only the main character in Amazing Grace but his role in ending the British slave trade was also mentioned in Shama's book.

In comparing Shama's book with the movie, the difference is the obvious absence of John Clarkson from Amazing Grace; this absence brings one to question, who had more of an impact on the liberation of the slaves? This paper will explore the role of both John Clarkson and William Wilberforce based on their portrayals in Rough Crossings and Amazing Grace. The intention in exploring these historical figures is to use Rough Crossings and Amazing Grace to discover whether Clarkson or Wilberforce played a more crucial role in regards to liberating the slaves.

In order to efficiently analyze the two works it is important to recognize the argument of Shama's book. Rough Crossings, puts forth a very startling argument, that is, the slaves residing in America were on the side of the British and fought for the British during the Revolutionary War. Furthermore, despite the fact that Thomas Jefferson blamed King George in the Declaration of Independence, the slaves looked at the king as "their enemy's enemy and thus their friend, emancipator and guardian" . As a result the British promised the land to the slaves in exchange for their loyalty. Plots of land were divided in Nova Scotia for the former slaves, however the slaves quickly realized that Canadian land was the same as American land in terms of discrimination. The land was incredibly infertile and in order to make money the former slaves were forced to hire themselves out. Essentially, their "freedom" in Nova Scotia, was eerily comparable to the slavery they faced in the thirteen colonies.

As a result the "Province of Freedom" or "Freetown" was developed in Sierra Leone. It was designed as a utopian community where the abolitionists would work with the former slaves to build and establish a colony where they could live and work peacefully. However years of disease, harsh weather conditions, violence and ultimately the British government ending the former slaves new found democracy, the utopian community ended.

A noticeable person in Rough Crossings, is that of John Clarkson. Clarkson was absent from Amazing Grace most likely due to the fact that the film dealt solely with ending slavery in Great Britain, and did not discuss the establishment of Freetown in Sierra Leone. According to Rough Crossings, John was chosen by his older brother Thomas to investigate the treatment of the slaves. It was important for John to collect evidence about the negative treatment of slaves because John and the others who were opposed to slavery need to present this evidence to persuade others to their cause.
A major reason that the British parliament was hesitant in ending the slave trade was for financial reasons; they did not want to give up what was technically "free" labor. However, the British also feared abolishing the slave trade because, "it would hand an immensely lucrative commerce over to the arch-enemy, whose empire would flourish" . The enemy in question was the French Monarchy, and at the time the French Monarchy was deteriorating. Consequently, giving up the British slave trade would help the French economy, and possibly prevent their downfall. As a result, Clarkson desperately needed to persuade both the French and the British of the atrocities slavery produced because that way neither side would financially be hurt from its abolition.
Noticeably, Amazing Grace does not mention the "rough crossings" that the abolitionists and former slaves had to endure, nor the legacy of freedom that resulted from the colonies establishment, but Amazing Grace is testament to the political problems that were occurring on the home-front.
William Wilberforce was active in Great Britain in presenting motions to parliament that would end slavery. As seen in the film Amazing Grace, Wilberforce's motions were met with great resistance and were constantly denied. This was an aspect that was briefly touched upon in the book but was greatly discussed in the movie. In the movie Amazing Grace, Wilberforce was portrayed as a tireless abolitionist who's efforts wore him out physically and emotionally. Ultimately, in the film, Wilberforce succeeds at abolishing slavery. However, in Rough Crossings, in regards to Wilberforce's efforts Shama writes, "After his bill to abolish the slave trade hat met with yet another defeat in 1799, William Wilberforce all but gave up hope of Parliament" .
The book does not really address Wilberforce's role in the final abolition of slavery in Britain. Is this a result of dramatic liberties being taken in Amazing Grace, and in fact Wilberforce not having as major a role as was portrayed? Or is it simply that Wilberforce's activism did lead to the abolition of the slave trade, but as he grew older he was less involved in parliament and therefore that is why Rough Crossings credits Charles James Fox as the one responsible for the ultimate abolition of slavery in Britain.
Ultimately, the question of whether Clarkson or Wilberforce played more of a role in the abolition of slavery is not definitive. Clarkson succeeded in helping the colonists have their first attempt at self government and showed them that freedom was possible. Wilberforce played a bigger role in terms of the fighting parliament and his efforts are immeasurable. Without the efforts of both men, slavery may have had a much longer history in terms of Great Britain.
Sources:
Simon Shama, Rough Crossings, (NY: HarperCollins 2006)