1750-1754: John Newton, who would later become a prominent abolitionist and the author of “Amazing Grace,” served as a captain on several slaving voyages dur…

1750-1754: John Newton, who would later become a prominent abolitionist and the author of “Amazing Grace,” served as a captain on several slaving voyages during this period. In his personal journals, he initially viewed his role as a “genteel employment” and considered himself a sort of gaoler or turnkey perpetually surrounded by chains and shackles. Newton eventually resigned his command due to a sudden fit of illness, which he later interpreted as a providential intervention that spared him from a calamitous voyage. His writings provide a rare and detailed look into the daily operations and moral justifications of those directly managing the Atlantic slave traffic.