Chapter 8

In chapter 8 of Bury the Chains, it begins with the mobilization of the Quakers. They wanted to abolish slavery and worked with Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp in order to get their opinions and voices heard. The Quakers wrote letter, petitions, and articles against slavery, and in order for it to be accepted by the British. Hochschild talks about the trip that Clarkson went on, through many, many cities trying to rally the people together and get them to sign the letter he would later bring to Parliament. In order to make his argument meaningful and appropriate Clarkson kept a journal of facts and observations of his travels. He wrote of the factories, slave ships, cities he passed through, stories of sailors, and interviews with people who wanted a change. "Experiences like this only increased Clarkson's rage against the trade, and his desire to act on it" (116). When Clarkson arrived in Manchester he gained very important alliances including merchants with a lot of money and power making it easier to get his petition off to Parliament and start the abolitionist movement. 

It is interesting to see that there was only one record of one person trying to fight against slavery. When Clarkson was the only person to start the movement, it is a good thing that he came from a community that supported him, and also was articulate enough to gain the support of many people in powerful places. I find in interesting that in the modern day world there is no such support. Or if there is it is not enough to start a movement. Petitions now don't seem to work, and all the people in power usually have the same views, therefore no change.