History

Bury the Chains: 8 key ideas

by Adam Hochschild

The core ideas of Bury the Chains, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

1. IDEA 1 OF 8

   Abolition began in a printing shop

   Hochschild describes how, in 1787, twelve men met in a London printing shop to found a committee against the slave trade.

   At the time, slavery was widely accepted, and few believed it could be ended.

2. IDEA 2 OF 8

   Clarkson gathered evidence

   Hochschild describes Thomas Clarkson, who travelled thousands of miles collecting evidence about the slave trade.

   He interviewed sailors and gathered objects like chains and shackles. These objects helped make the trade's cruelty real to people who had never seen it.

3. IDEA 3 OF 8

   Wilberforce led in Parliament

   William Wilberforce championed abolition in Parliament for years.

   Hochschild describes his persistence despite repeated defeats. Hochschild shows that he kept bringing the issue back year after year, until opinion in the country finally moved with him.

4. IDEA 4 OF 8

   Equiano told his story

   Olaudah Equiano, a formerly enslaved African, wrote a bestselling account of his life.

   His story moved readers and supported the cause. Hochschild notes that his book helped British readers see enslaved people as real human beings with feelings and dignity.

5. IDEA 5 OF 8

   Quakers led the way

   Hochschild describes how Quakers, a religious group, were among the first to oppose slavery.

   Their networks supported the campaign. Hochschild shows that their contacts and letters helped spread the cause across the country.

6. IDEA 6 OF 8

   Citizens boycotted sugar

   Hochschild describes how many British people refused to buy sugar produced by enslaved people.

   This boycott showed the power of ordinary consumers. Hochschild suggests that this was a simple way for ordinary people, including women, to join the cause.

7. IDEA 7 OF 8

   Campaign methods were new

   Hochschild argues that the abolitionists invented many modern campaign methods, such as petitions, posters and logos.

   Their movement became a model for later activism. Later movements for other causes learned from the way they stirred public opinion.

8. IDEA 8 OF 8

   The trade was abolished

   In 1807, Britain abolished the slave trade, and slavery itself in its colonies was later abolished.

   Hochschild presents this as a triumph of moral persuasion. Hochschild stresses that this victory took twenty years of steady campaigning, not a single sudden win.