African-British Writings in the Eighteenth Century: The Politics of Race and ReasonThe eighteenth century was a time of great cultural change in Britain. It was a period marked by expeditions to the New World, Africa, and the Orient, and these voyages were reflected in the travel literature of the era. It was also a period in which seventeenth-century empiricism and the scientific method became dominant, and in which society became increasingly secular. Fundamental to the eighteenth-century worldview was the notion of the Great Chain of Being, in which all creatures and their Creator stood in a hierarchical relationship with one another. The years from 1660 to 1833 witnessed both Britain's participation in slavery and the appropriation of the Great Chain of Being by social anthropologists and political leaders. With the rise of the slave trade, blacks were brought to Britain against their will, where they were enslaved. At the same time, intellectuals of the period tried to place these slaves within the hierarchical frame provided by the Great Chain of Being. |
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... Christian , as though race and reverence were mutually exclusive . ( Olaudah Equiano proudly records that he himself was frequently identified as the " black Christian . " ) Long after converting to Christianity , Gronniosaw still ...
... Christian ad- visors reap great wealth from him and others , all of which occurs compli- ments of the slave trade . At the same time , accepting personal responsibility for his predicament gave Gronniosaw the impetus to mend his ...
... Christian faith . In Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil of Slav- ery ( 1787 ) , a philosophical essay , Cugoano credits divine intervention with granting Gronniosaw liberty , knowledge , and grace in spite of the contrary intentions of ...
Contents
Enlightenment Humanism | 1 |
Perspectives on a Theological Chain | 31 |
Conclusion | 149 |
Copyright | |
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African-British Writings in the Eighteenth Century: The Politics of Race and ... Helena Woodard No preview available - 1999 |