What is Thomas Clarkson birthday?

Thomas Clarkson was born at 1760-03-28

When was Thomas Clarkson died?

Thomas Clarkson was died at 1846-09-26

Where was Thomas Clarkson died?

Thomas Clarkson was died in Playford, Suffolk

Which age was Thomas Clarkson died?

Thomas Clarkson was died at age 86

Where is Thomas Clarkson's birth place?

Thomas Clarkson was born in Wisbech

What is Thomas Clarkson nationalities?

Thomas Clarkson's nationalities is British

Who is Thomas Clarkson siblings?

Thomas Clarkson's siblings is John Clarkson

What was Thomas Clarkson universities?

Thomas Clarkson studied at St John's College, Cambridge, Wisbech Grammar School, University of Cambridge

Which company or organization was founded by Thomas Clarkson?

Thomas Clarkson was the founder/co-founder of Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade

How famous is Thomas Clarkson?

Thomas Clarkson is famouse as Abolitionist

Thomas Clarkson - Abolitionist, Career and Personal Life

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Personal Details
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Overview
Timeline
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Humanitarian Philanthropists British Activists Civil Rights Activists Aries Celebrities

Thomas Clarkson's Personal Details

Thomas Clarkson was an English abolitionist and the main force in bringing about the Slave Trade Act

Information	Detail
Birthday	March 28, 1760
Died on	September 26, 1846
Nationality	British
Famous	Humanitarian, Philanthropists, Activists, Civil Rights Activists, Abolitionist
Siblings	John Clarkson
Universities	St John's College Cambridge Wisbech Grammar School University of Cambridge
Founder / Co-Founder	Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade
Birth Place	Wisbech
Gender	Male
Sun Sign	Aries
Born in	Wisbech
Famous as	Abolitionist
Died at Age	86

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Who is Thomas Clarkson?

Thomas Clarkson was an English abolitionist, one of the first effective publicists of the English abolitionist movement and a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. Born in Cambridgeshire to a financially well-off family, he wanted to become a reverend like his father, John Clarkson, who was also the headmaster of the Wisbech Grammar School where Thomas began his schooling. An outstanding student, he graduated from St. John’s College, Cambridge. Following in his father’s footsteps he planned to join the Angelical Church and was ordained as a deacon, but he never proceeded to the priest’s orders. After participating in a Latin essay-writing competition, he believed he had a spiritual experience. The topic of the essay was ‘Anne liceat invitos in servitutem dare’ (Is it lawful to enslave the unconsenting?) and he won the competition. While researching for it, he learned about the hideous profession of slave trade and the inhumane concept of slavery. He spent the next 61 years of his life trying to abolish slavery from the British, and eventually the European society. His dedicated campaigning was rewarded with the passing of the Slave Trade Act in 1807.

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Childhood & Early Life

Thomas Clarkson was born on March 28, 1760 in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire to Rev. John Clarkson and Anne. John Clarkson was an Anglican priest and the headmaster at the Wisbech Grammar School.

Thomas received his primary schooling from Wisbech Grammar School, from where he went to St. Paul’s School, London in 1775. He graduated from St. John’s College, Cambridge in 1783 with a B.A. degree.

Career

After graduating Thomas Clarkson stayed at Cambridge to follow in his father’s footsteps and enter the Anglican Church. He was ordained as a deacon in 1783 but he never proceeded to priest’s orders.

In 1785, Cambridge University’s Vice-Chancellor Peter Peckard organized a Latin essay competition on the topic ‘Anne liceat invitos in servitutem dare’ (Is it lawful to enslave the unconsenting?).

Not quite versed about the topic, Thomas Clarkson began researching and got his hands on Anthony Benezet’s book on the same topic. With more research he came to understand the horrifying realities of slave trade and slavery.

Still not content with his research, he began interviewing people who had any experience of slavery. After including these experiences in his essay, he presented it to the university and won the prize.

While travelling back to London on horse-back he stopped at Wadesmill and experienced a spiritual revelation from God. He believed that someone should put an end to this evil and from this point onwards he dedicated his life to this cause.

In 1786, he translated his essay into a pamphlet in English for a wider audience and named it ‘An essay on the slavery and commerce of the human species, particularly the Africa, translated from a Latin Dissertation’.

The essay gained claim and importance and he soon met other leading campaigners against slave trade including James Ramsay, Granville Sharp and other Nonconformists.

From his new acquaintances he came to know that a movement, initiated by the Quakers, against slavery had been gathering strength for years—in 1783, a group of 300 Quakers had signed the first petition against slave trade and presented it to the Parliament.

In 1787, 12 men, including Thomas Clarkson, founded the Committee for Abolition of the African Slave Trade. Of the 12 members, nine were Quakers and the rest were Anglicans—Clarkson being one of the three. Granville Sharp was elected as the Chairman.

Clarkson’s main role in the committee was gathering evidence against the trade, but as it was legal and highly-profiting, he faced stern opposition when he tried to educate people about this evil practice.

He found out that Liverpool was a major base of slave trading syndicates and he travelled there to gather evidence and generate awareness. He narrowly escaped with his life when a group of sailors tried to assassinate him.

His next campaign was at a Manchester Church where his speech was so successful that it acted as a catalyst for the city’s anti-slavery campaign. In1787, he published the pamphlet ‘A Summary View of the Slave Trade and of the Probable Consequences of it Abolition’.

His mission led him to the port at Bristol where the landlord of the Seven Stars Pub provided him with all the information he might need. On travelling further, he met two surgeons who had been on many voyages aboard slave ships. They recounted their experiences and this information too was used in the campaign.

In his two years of evidence-gathering he travelled over 35,000 miles on horseback and interviewed around 20,000 sailors. He also took numerous equipments (iron handcuffs, leg-shackles, branding irons, thumbscrews), that were used to capture and torture the slaves, as evidence.

William Wilberforce was an Anglican and an MP who openly spoke against slavery in the parliament using Clarkson’s evidence. William introduced a Bill to abolish the slave trade in 1791 but it wasn’t passed. Their campaign suffered another setback when the war with France erupted.

Thomas Clarkson retired from the campaign in 1794 due to his failing health, but returned with full vigor and optimism in 1804 after the war ended. However, this time his major emphasis lay in lobbying MPs to support the parliamentary campaign.

His efforts finally bore fruit with the passing of the Slave Trade Act in 1807. The Act also called on the British Navy to enforce and uphold this law. With this success he took his campaigning to the rest of Europe.

In 1823, he helped in the establishment of the Society for Mitigation and Gradual Abolishment of Slavery. He travelled for over 10,000 miles and created linkages between the countless newly formed anti-slavery societies.

His efforts didn’t go in vain as the parliament received 777 petitions for total emancipation of the slaves. Owing to the public pressure, the Slavery Abolition Act was passed in 1833; it ordered for complete emancipation in the British colonies by 1838.

Major Works

Thomas Clarkson’s biggest achievement was the passing of the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, which was mostly possible because of his extensive campaigning. He also co-founded the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade (also known as the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade).

Awards & Achievements

Thomas Clarkson was awarded the title of Domestic Chaplain to the Earl of Portmore in 1785.

Personal Life & Legacy

Thomas Clarkson married Catherine Buck in 1796 and they were blessed with a son, Thomas (Jr.), the same year.

He passed away on September 26, 1846 in Playford, Suffolk and he was buried in St. Mary’s Church.

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Thomas Clarkson biography timelines

// 28th Mar 1760
Thomas Clarkson was born on March 28, 1760 in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire to Rev. John Clarkson and Anne. John Clarkson was an Anglican priest and the headmaster at the Wisbech Grammar School.
// 1775 To 1783
Thomas received his primary schooling from Wisbech Grammar School, from where he went to St. Paul’s School, London in 1775. He graduated from St. John’s College, Cambridge in 1783 with a B.A. degree.
// 1783
After graduating Thomas Clarkson stayed at Cambridge to follow in his father’s footsteps and enter the Anglican Church. He was ordained as a deacon in 1783 but he never proceeded to priest’s orders.
// 1783
From his new acquaintances he came to know that a movement, initiated by the Quakers, against slavery had been gathering strength for years—in 1783, a group of 300 Quakers had signed the first petition against slave trade and presented it to the Parliament.
// 1785
In 1785, Cambridge University’s Vice-Chancellor Peter Peckard organized a Latin essay competition on the topic ‘Anne liceat invitos in servitutem dare’ (Is it lawful to enslave the unconsenting?).
// 1785
Thomas Clarkson was awarded the title of Domestic Chaplain to the Earl of Portmore in 1785.
// 1786
In 1786, he translated his essay into a pamphlet in English for a wider audience and named it ‘An essay on the slavery and commerce of the human species, particularly the Africa, translated from a Latin Dissertation’.
// 1787
In 1787, 12 men, including Thomas Clarkson, founded the Committee for Abolition of the African Slave Trade. Of the 12 members, nine were Quakers and the rest were Anglicans—Clarkson being one of the three. Granville Sharp was elected as the Chairman.
// 1787
His next campaign was at a Manchester Church where his speech was so successful that it acted as a catalyst for the city’s anti-slavery campaign. In1787, he published the pamphlet ‘A Summary View of the Slave Trade and of the Probable Consequences of it Abolition’.
// 1791
William Wilberforce was an Anglican and an MP who openly spoke against slavery in the parliament using Clarkson’s evidence. William introduced a Bill to abolish the slave trade in 1791 but it wasn’t passed. Their campaign suffered another setback when the war with France erupted.
// 1794 To 1804
Thomas Clarkson retired from the campaign in 1794 due to his failing health, but returned with full vigor and optimism in 1804 after the war ended. However, this time his major emphasis lay in lobbying MPs to support the parliamentary campaign.
// 1796
Thomas Clarkson married Catherine Buck in 1796 and they were blessed with a son, Thomas (Jr.), the same year.
// 1807
His efforts finally bore fruit with the passing of the Slave Trade Act in 1807. The Act also called on the British Navy to enforce and uphold this law. With this success he took his campaigning to the rest of Europe.
// 1823
In 1823, he helped in the establishment of the Society for Mitigation and Gradual Abolishment of Slavery. He travelled for over 10,000 miles and created linkages between the countless newly formed anti-slavery societies.
// 1833 To 1838
His efforts didn’t go in vain as the parliament received 777 petitions for total emancipation of the slaves. Owing to the public pressure, the Slavery Abolition Act was passed in 1833; it ordered for complete emancipation in the British colonies by 1838.
// 1833
Thomas Clarkson’s biggest achievement was the passing of the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, which was mostly possible because of his extensive campaigning. He also co-founded the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade (also known as the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade).
// 26th Sep 1846
He passed away on September 26, 1846 in Playford, Suffolk and he was buried in St. Mary’s Church.

// Famous Humanitarian

Thomas Clarkson's FAQ

What is Thomas Clarkson birthday?
Thomas Clarkson was born at 1760-03-28
When was Thomas Clarkson died?
Thomas Clarkson was died at 1846-09-26
Where was Thomas Clarkson died?
Thomas Clarkson was died in Playford, Suffolk
Which age was Thomas Clarkson died?
Thomas Clarkson was died at age 86
Where is Thomas Clarkson's birth place?
Thomas Clarkson was born in Wisbech
What is Thomas Clarkson nationalities?
Thomas Clarkson's nationalities is British
Who is Thomas Clarkson siblings?
Thomas Clarkson's siblings is John Clarkson
What was Thomas Clarkson universities?
Thomas Clarkson studied at St John's College, Cambridge, Wisbech Grammar School, University of Cambridge
Which company or organization was founded by Thomas Clarkson?
Thomas Clarkson was the founder/co-founder of Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade
What is Thomas Clarkson's sun sign?
Thomas Clarkson is Aries
How famous is Thomas Clarkson?
Thomas Clarkson is famouse as Abolitionist