By James Walvin, author of Amazing Grace: A Cultural History of the Beloved HymnIt may seem odd for a historian of slavery to write a history of a popular hymn. In fact, the link between “Amazing Grace” and slavery is clear and fairly obvious: the author of “Amazing Grace,” John Newton, had bee
By Jim Walvin, author of A World Transformed: Slavery in the Americas and the Origins of Global PowerLike most apprentice historians, I learned my trade on a specific, narrow area of study: the history of a single Jamaican slave plantation. At that time, in the late 60’s, slavery was not a commo