Slavery
“Slavery” by William Ellery Channing, published by Cambridge University Press on August 29, 2013, is a significant work that explores the complex moral and social issues surrounding slavery in the years leading up to the American Civil War. This edition spans 108 pages and is presented in English. Channing, a prominent Unitarian preacher, delves into the religious and ethical dimensions of slavery, reflecting on his own struggles with the institution and the societal norms of his time.
Readers will find a nuanced examination of the conflicting emotions that Channing experienced regarding slavery, as he expresses both disdain for the practice and a degree of empathy for slaveholders. The text provides insight into the historical context of the Civil War period, addressing themes of social history and the moral dilemmas faced by individuals in a society grappling with the institution of slavery. Channing’s reflections culminate in a foreboding acknowledgment of the potential consequences of the slavery debate on national unity, making this work a thought-provoking contribution to discussions on history and ethics.
Official synopsis Publisher
In the years preceding the American Civil War, religion was at the heart of the debate over slavery. William Ellery Channing (1780-1842) had rejected the strict Calvinism of his background to become the leading Unitarian spokesman and preacher, and in later life he began to address the subject of slavery. Published in 1836, this work was Channing’s most substantial contribution to the debate, revealing the real difficulties men such as Channing had in questioning a practice with which they had grown up. He vacillates between contempt for the institution and empathy for the slaveholders, writing, ‘I do not intend to pass sentence on the character of the slave-holder.’ He sees black slaves as humans, but not of equal status with white people. The final chapter is particularly prescient: ‘There is a great dread … that the union of the States may be dissolved by the conflict about slavery.’
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