Breaking chains of slave trade

Chris Osuh

October 29, 2007

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A SYMBOLIC 300ft chain was broken in a service at Manchester Cathedral held to mark the abolition of the slave trade.

It was made up of hundreds of visitors' messages linked together.

It was part of an exhibition commemorating the 220th anniversary of the day on October 28, 1787, when anti-slave trade campaigner Thomas Clarkson preached at Manchester Cathedral.

His words had such impact one fifth of the population signed a petition calling for an end to slavery.

Yesterday to mark the anniversary prayers were read from the chain before it was symbolically broken.

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Dave Pickup (29/10/2007 at 14:12)

Why do we have to keep apologising for something that happened 200 years ago? If they were white slaves,would this be happening? What about the thousands of children working as chimley(Mancunian) sweeps or working down the mines;no apology to them. Could it be in 200 years time,we will be having guilt trips about people that actually had to work for a living?

Giles (29/10/2007 at 14:42)

Of course the slave trade was appaling but why oh why do we keep apologising for everything time and again?

Why dodn't we apologise to ordinary Iraqi's for the countless civiliam lives that are being lost, apologise to the Germans to those who have relatives that we killed in the two world wars, why don't the Danes apologise for their ancestors coming over and raping and pillaging. Where do we stop?

Why are people aplogising on behalf for the slave trade? I wasn't alive then and my ancestors had nothing whatsoevr to do with it yet I am made to feel guilty for what some people who just so happened to live in the country of my birth did many years ago and we are all collecyively responsible now.

ace, manchester (29/10/2007 at 16:50)

October 28, 1787, This was the date it was abolished and now we need a new date to show just what joining europe has done for the new slave trade in britain?Slave trading has been on the increase since joining the EU and europe.And once again we have slaves.

Mr Angry, Bury (29/10/2007 at 16:57)

I totally agree with Giles and Dave. The slave trade was apalling but it was over 200 years ago, where does it end? Do we ask the Italian government to apologise for the Roman empire, the Mexicans for the human sacrifices carried out by the Aztecs, etc etc. PC rubbish, move on

ace, manchester (29/10/2007 at 17:04)

My ancesters no doubt had land stolen from them hundreds of years ago ?i wonder if the crown would please give it me back?????not a chance ,and do you think that her maj gives a s----t not a cat in hells chance.

Paul Nolan.......Super Leeds, Manchester (29/10/2007 at 17:10)

They won't let this topic go will they....Have we got to say "Sorry" forever?
Maybe we should claim money also from the Romans, Vikings and the Germans, Italians, Japanese and every other country whos has a grudge with us.
Maybe we should sue the Americans for making us leave America in the war of independence also!!!

bernie, manchester (29/10/2007 at 17:18)

one half of me is Irish the other English i don't blame anyone for the potato famine nor do I resent the fact that many of my English ancestors were put up chimneys as kids,worked in factories and lost limbs,were beaten by the cruel owners.whilst thr African Slaves were having it terrible life wasn't 'great for working men or women.who were put in the factories from aged 7 or so for 16 hours a day.was this not a form of slavery? the thousands of men who were sent 'over-the-top for 4 years to be mowed down by German guns,none of their families have received an apology too.this was basically murder by 'our government'.it's time to get on with life.look forwards not back and you'll FEEL BETTER believe me.

ace, manchester (29/10/2007 at 17:24)

Dave Pickup
Sorry dave ive been moderated once again i had a article about white slaves in america but the MEN would not print it mate.i just hope they allow this???

marc (29/10/2007 at 18:16)

pointless gesture. focus on the slavery that exists in the world and stop apologising for past crimes.

philip carlin (30/10/2007 at 05:59)

i would agree with the first two comments, except that there is no mention of the word "apology" in the account of the service. the service was about remembering and learning, and resolving to do better in the future.
It isn't words but actions that count, but we are prisoners of the politicians and media if we don't try to remember as acurately as possible. thanks to everyone who attended the service; it was a positive and uplifting occasion!

Leo B (30/10/2007 at 08:02)

What would the world look like today if the slave trade had never existed?.....
and instead of selling their enemies to the slave traders - not all of whom were white - the various warring factions in Africa had just slaughtered their enemies on the spot?
We wouldn't now have to apologise for the eventual expansion - via the American civil war - of the horizons, aspirations and very real achievements of vast numbers of african citizens, and theirv descendants; and Africa would still be a land of genocide and misery.......hang on, it still is.

come-on-city (30/10/2007 at 11:08)

Giles and Dave

Just where in this article does it say they were asking for an apology?

Should the abolition of slavery not be commemorated? Or becuase it didnt effect your family do you not care?

dh (30/10/2007 at 12:56)

I believe we should remember what happened in the past, not so that we can feel guilty about things we had no part in, but so we can learn lessons for today, and avoid making the same mistakes as our ancestors.

I attended the service at the cathedral and the emphasis was not on apologising for the past but on learning from it and making links with the present. Part of the service was a dramatic rendering of Thomas Clarkson's pivotal speech, which helped to mobilise the people of Manchester against the slave trade. Manchester's commercial success was built largely on cotton and this depended on the slave trade. Many ordinary, respectable people benefited directly or indirectly from the slave trade but turned a blind eye to it. Clarkson argued that it was no defence for people to claim they had no part in the slave trade: so long as they were aware of the scandal then if they did not campaign to end it they were as guilty as those who were directly engaged in transporting slaves.

We were then reminded that in the present day, slavery still exists in many forms, and we still benefit from it. When, for example, we buy cheaply-produced products produced by child labour or forced labour we are participating in this scandal. We make choices about what we buy, and very often we will buy the cheaper goods, even when we can afford a little more for alternative which has been produced without exploitation.

We left the service not feeling full of guilt, but with a renewed determination to make the choices which promote justice, fairness and equality.

Harvey Cressington-Wallace (30/10/2007 at 16:35)

Someone commented about an 'apology'. Maybe not at this service but Liverpool has apologised for it's role in the slave trade.

Might they apologise for letting the US Air Force use base in Warrington to bomb Germany? I have relatives who have lost their lives in the war whom I nver new - where's my apology?

Ace is right about slavery still going on these days. Women being forced to work in brothels against their will etc.

I doubt anyone on here thinks that slavery was good, but what we are saying is that we need to move on. Yes we should learn the lessons of the past though.

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