| "The great roar and sweep
of history is successfully braided into the intimate daily detail
of this compelling and intelligent book," The Times of Philippa
Gregory's book, A RESPECTABLE TRADE Remembering how Bristol made its' money - History in Chains |
 Bristol's
past was dramatically unveiled by a TV series. Since watching the first
episode of this BBC drama series, it has been difficult to get the cruelty,
acted out with such observational imagery, out of my mind. I do not regret
having watched this story based on the slave trade, and felt captivated
to follow the series through, despite the uneasy feeling and the unreasonable
sense of guilt I felt. It was well directed and has made me aware
of just what happened in my home town, in one of its more dodgy moments
in history. MP William Wilberforce battled hard for 15 years to end the
slave trade in England. Much the same as today, Parliament was a place
where business interests and care for human lives clashed. At about the
14th attempt to get his bill through Parliament, tickets were given out
for MPs to be able to attend the opera, delaying the passing of the anti-slave
bill yet another year. Finally the battle for decency was won. The roots
of the struggle against the trade began through the work of John Wesley
and the change of heart in one slave trader. It was at that time that
Wesley wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. |
