“AMAZING GRACE” – A DEVOUT SONG OR A MOCKERY?

“AMAZING GRACE” 

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found

Was blind but now I see 

Was Grace that taught my heart to fear

And Grace, my fears relieved

How precious did that Grace appear

The hour I first believed 

Gustave Boulanger's painting The Slave Market; source: Wikipedia

I’m sure, almost everyone could hear this song at least once in their life. Although many know that, not everyone is aware of its origin. Here you can hear one of the most popular this song ‘s rendition connected with the Great Britain culture in which the song is usually associated.

LISTEN TO THE SONG

Amazing grace played at Wells Bridge Fire Department Pavillion on June 3, 2006, by "Rocks From The Garden", 

Joannie (vocal) and Randy(guitar).

What are the origins of "Amazing Grace"?

"Amazing Grace" is surely one of the most recognizable hymns in the English-speaking world. The words were written in 1772 by the Englishman John Newton and published anonymously  in 1779 as a part of a poem entitled "Olney Hymns". After almost a century, in 1847, Newton's rhyme was set to the "New Britain" tune and given the title "Amazing Grace". In that shape the song appeared for the first time in Walker's tunebook "Southern Harmony" in 1847.

Albert Finney as John Newton, the photo from the movie “Amazing Grace”

John Newton was working as a slave ship master bringing the slaves from Africa to England. After one of his sea voyages his ship almost sank and he survived miraculously. Newton realised his salvage was only by God’s grace and decided to turn his life around and became a clergyman and poet. “Amazing Grace” was written from his personal experiences with words which were borne from his heart.

Engraving of the vicarage at Olney where John Newton spent his first years as a minister, 1879.

Why is "Amazing Grace" known as the anti-slavery hymn?

After several years of working in a British parish John Newton started to gain popularity as a well-educated preacher, a poet and writer. It started when he became the spiritual father of William Wilberforce when he was a boy and in the forthcoming years was reaching gradually more and more influence on the young politician and philanthropist. Talking about his slave trader work in the past he emphasized that he still couldn’t find peace because of his memories of suffering slaves which were still fresh.

William Wilberforce (1759 – 1833) , source: Wikipedia.

To make a greater impression on his young ward he repeated that all the time during his work as a preacher, he was living in the company of 20 thousand ghosts of black slaves who died of diseases and hunger during the shipping when he was a captain and a slave master. Thereby, one day he happened to be just that person, who had a great impact on William Wilberforce; leader or the parliamentary campaign to abolish the African slave trade (Black Slavery).

Ioan Gruffudd as William Wilberforce – a photo from the movie “Amazing Grace” (2006)

The popularity of the song.

The project succeeded after many years of making endeavours. William Wilberforce and his companions, one of whom was John Newton, ultimately met the target thanks to having collected evidences of the cruelty of slave traders who treated Africans as if they were animals, and also thanks to emphasized high rate of death among the black people transported on ships and their endless torments during their lives in slavery in Europe.  After long years of fighting, the "Slave Trade Act" was ultimately signed in 1807 and from that time onward the song "Amazing Grace" has been associated with the idea of resistance to every kind of slavery. The movie "Amazing Grace" (2006) made this connotation even more obvious.

Amazing Grace Bagpipes

      

Was Africa free after the slave trade abolishment in Great Britain?

After abolishing the slavery in Great Britain, other countries started to change their policies step by step to change the law and stop the slave trade. But the dealings were still valid in America’s law due to the fact that having the unpaid workers was a guarantee of good prosperity, especially that in the eyes of the law they had no more rights than animals. Slaves could be sold anytime, severely punished for every disobedience and could be used for sexual pleasures or even killed during penalizing. They never could decide for themselves, love, personal ambitions and dreams were forbidden. Even after they got married they couldn’t be sure that their children would live with them, because they could be sold anytime. The times have changed now – there’s no slavery in the world and all the black people are now said to be free and have the same rights as the whites. Everyone seems to be equal and enjoy the same human rights, but is that really so?

Why is racism still a real problem? George Flloyd’s death has reminded us about the necessity to fight any injustice towards people of different skin colour, place of living, religion and culture.

Josiah Wedgwood, The Official Medallion of the British Anti-Slavery Society, 1787

      Is Africa free now?

Did Great Britain lost their benefits after the slave trade abolishment? I don’t think so… When the Slave Trade Act was about to be claimed as invalid the Great Britain was already an owner of large territories in Africa like Sierra Leone, Gambia and later the Kingdom of Lagos and the Northern and Southern Nigeria. By the coming years Great Britain was buying more and more areas in Africa and in the end became the biggest colonialist growing rich due to the petroleum fields which were found in Africa. In the 20th century the colonies got independence but Great Britain maintained the influence they had on the Africa governments to be able to reap the further rewards from the oil. One of the largest crude oil sources was discovered in Niger delta of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Olubiri in Bayelsa state which in fact induced Great Britain's political decisions about their involvement in Nigeria's economy. Protecting their oil interests was also a reason, why Great Britain supported the Federal Government of Nigeria and supplied them with weapons during the Nigeria civil war against Biafra between 1967-1970.

Coat of Arms of the Republic of Biafra

       The acceptance of secession would be a great risk of losing profits from the oil trade, which could be a very big danger for British economy. Of course in the wake of European support Biafra fell and returned to Nigeria, so the UK and now the USA can still benefit a lot from the oil exploitation while Nigerians have little or no profit from the oil extractions and struggle with poverty and hunger. This hasn’t changed for centuries. It begs the question: Are the African people really free now? Is really the “Amazing Grace” the anti-slavery song or only a mocker which has kept quiet people’s conscience?

LeVar Burton as Kunta Kinte. The picture from the TV series “Roots” (1977)

Through many dangers, toils and snares 

We have already come 

T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far 

And Grace will lead us home 

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound 

That saved a wretch like me 

I once was lost but now am found 

Was blind but now I see 

(John Newton, 1772)

Written by: Cecylia Buczko

Cecylia Buczko