Thoughts upon the African slave trade

** "Thoughts upon the African Slave Trade" by John Newton is a historical reflection from the 1700s that looks closely at the morality around trading enslaved Africans. Written by a former participant, the book gives a firsthand look at this cruel practice and strongly argues that it should be stopped so that the value of human life is maintained. Newton tells the story of his own change of heart, from someone who was involved in the slave trade to someone who fought against it, detailing the horrible lives of enslaved people and how morally corrupting the trade was for everyone involved. He thinks deeply about his own role and how normal slavery seemed to be at the time, making clear that it brought great pain not only to those enslaved but also to the European sailors and traders. Newton's writing is a personal admission of guilt mixed with a demand for action, stressing how urgently society needed to change and the importance of treating everyone with respect. **