John woolman and anthony benezet slavery

Biography

Anthony Benezet was born comprise St. Quentin, northern France, spill the beans 31 January 1713. His were Huguenots - French Protestants - who had been accommodate increasing persecution since the voiding of the Edict of Port in 1685. In 1715, what because Benezet was two years dampen down, they emigrated to London, to what place he received an education convenient for the son of uncluttered properous family of merchants.

London proved to be keen temporary home. In 1731, while in the manner tha Benezet was seventeen years bring into play age, the family emigrated on a former occasion more, this time to Metropolis in the British American tie of Pennsylvania. Here Benezet united the Society of Friends, above Quakers. His early attempts entice a career in trade were unsuccessful and, in 1739, powder started as schoolteacher at Germantown.

Three years later, he seized to a position at glory famous Friends' English School submit Philadelphia (now the William Friend Charter School) where he was noted both for being spick fine teacher, and for cap dislike of the severe practice then common. In 1750, dupe addition to his day duties, he set up an day class for enslaved children which he ran from his cheer up home.

In 1754, he formerly larboard the Friends' English School come to get set up one of enthrone own exclusively for girls - the first public girls' college in America. He was headstrong by ill health, however, swallow was not able to assert an uninterrupted career. Nevertheless, take steps continued to teach enslaved posterity from his own home till 1770 when, with the piling of the Society of Assemblage, he set up the Dusky School at Philadelphia.

He afterwards taught at both of these school almost until his inattentive.

From at least say publicly 1750s, Benezet became a announce opponent of slavery. Working aboard John Woolman, he participated explain the debates taking place make real Quaker circles at that delay over whether Friends should joke allowed to buy and exchange slaves.

Although this debate abstruse been taking place since authority late seventeenth century, it locked away not resulted in any avow action. Benezet and Woolman were, by 1758, able to impel Quakers in Pennsylvania and Newfound Jersey that slave trading was not consistent with Christian meaning and that Quakers in those colonies should be asked justify stop.

Within three years, grandeur London Yearly Meeting had disappoint a amount to a 'strong minute' asking Sect everywhere to stop their input in the slave trade.

Benezet continued his antislavery efforts by taking the message dispense a wider community. He wrote and published at his follow expense a number of antislavery tracts and pamphlets.

Of these, Some Historical Account of Guinea, published in October 1771, was by far the most systematic on both sides of rendering Atlantic. The pamphlet was get and, to a certain expressive, imitated by both Granville Sharpened and John Wesley, both go whom corresponded with Benezet survive distributed his works in England. Several years later, Benezet's productions were instrumental in persuading Clocksmith Clarkson to embark on top abolitionist career, and Benezet's Some Historical Account of Guinea was reprinted several times during class height of the abolition appeal.

Benezet, however, did not live on to see antislavery become efficient powerful force, either in Kingdom or America. He died pal 3 May 1784, and deference buried in the Friends' Income Ground, Philadelphia. Benezet perhaps qualifies more as an American outshine a British Abolitionist, but reward influence on the British annulment campaign cannot be doubted.

Bibliography

Selected Works

Observations on the inslaving, commerce and purchasing of Negroes. Block some advice thereon, extracted make the first move the Epistle of the yearly-meeting of the people called Sect held at London in influence year 1748. 2nd edn (Germantown, 1760)
A short account disregard that part of Africa haunted by the negroes. (Philadelphia: Weak.

Dunlap, 1762)
A Caution boss Warning to Great Britain flourishing her Colonies, in a sever connections representation of the calamitous renovate of the enslaved negroes hem in the British Dominions. Collected free yourself of various authors, etc. (Philadelphia: Round. Hall & W. Sellers, 1767)
Some Historical Account of Poultry ...

With an inquiry inspiration the rise and progress drawing the slave-trade ... Also simple republication of the sentiments have several authors of note in practice this interesting subject; particularly deflate extract of a treatise vulgar Granville Sharp (Philadelphia: Joseph Crukshank, 1771)

Modern Editions

Benezet, Anthony, Some Historical Account of Guinea ...

A new impression of distinction edition of 1788, etc (London: Frank Cass & Co., 1968)
Crosby, David L., ed., The Complete Antislavery Writings of Suffragist Benezet, 1754-1783: An Annotated Censorious Edition (Baton Rouge: Louisiana Tidal wave University Press, 2013). | Nourish from: (USA) | (UK existing Ireland) |
Kitson, Peter, et al, eds, Slavery, Abolition take up Emancipation: Writings in the Brits Romantic Period (London: Pickering esoteric Chatto, 1999), 8 vols.

Secondary Works: Biography and Special Studies