A Moral Steam Engine

There are times in a life, or in a world, where a single idea, conceived, committed to, and followed through, can bring about the most breathtaking change.

I want to recommend a very moving film, Amazing Grace. It is the story of how a small group of people brought an end to the slave trade in England.

In 1807, at a time when slavery was a universally accepted part of life, at a time when the economy of Great Britain was dependent to a large extent upon the slave-driven plantations in the Caribbean, for the slave trade to be abolished was a singularly heroic and inspiring feat.

While Amazing Grace focuses on the life of William Wilberforce (1759-1833), the member of parliament who tenaciously held to his purpose for 23 years, there is a fantastic book, Bury the Chains, by Adam Hochschild, that centers around the life of the man who inspired Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846).

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