Some Considerations on the Keeping of Negroes

John Woolman

1754

A pioneering antislavery essay that helped turn the Quakers into the first religious group to formally oppose slavery.

Universal Love

"As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God"

General calls to self-denial and universal love are given to all who are under the Gospel dispensation. Where the love of God is verily perfected, and the true spirit of government watchfully attended to, a tenderness toward all creatures made subject to us will be experienced.

And a care felt in us that we do not lessen that sweetness of life in the animal creation which the great Creator intends for them under our government.

The Common Father

"We have one common Father who hath placed us in the world as brethren"

To consider mankind otherwise than brethren, to think favors are peculiar to one nation and exclude others, plainly supposes a darkness in the understanding.

For as God's love is universal, so where the mind is sufficiently influenced by it, it begets a likeness of itself, and the heart is enlarged toward all men.

Again, to conclude a people froward, perverse, and worse by nature than others, will exceedingly lessen that tenderness in our hearts toward them which is necessary for the right carrying of our duty toward them.

Against Prejudice

When we remember that all nations are of one blood, and that in this world we are but sojourners, that we are subject to like afflictions and infirmities of body, like disorders and frailties in mind, like temptations, like death, and like judgment—and that the Almighty Judge will not consider whether people were white or black—these considerations will make us careful to avoid treating any with a different respect than we ourselves should be willing to receive.

"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them"

This is the law and the prophets. And it is more reasonable that we should act thus than that we should look upon others as inferior creatures.

The Condition of Slaves

When we have a property in people, and through the powerful workings of self-love are inclined to view them in a different light from what we would were we in their condition, and they in ours, there is a danger of a wrong bias being given to the mind.

"To be afflicted without a crime, and considered as criminals, to be loaded with ignominy and know themselves innocent—how hard is this!"

Where persons set up ways of traffic in things which are attended with unrighteousness in getting them, or through which others suffer loss, whether of life, liberty, or property, without just cause—they are guilty of what attends those evils.

The Corruption of Slaveholding

Placing on men the ignominious title of "Slave," dressing them in uncomely garments, keeping them to servile labor in which they are often dirty, tends gradually to fix a notion in the mind that they are a sort of people below us in nature.

And this proceeds so far that some have looked upon them as though the blessing of the Creator was not extended unto them.

"Where men live in ease and plenty, and pride and self-will grow, they become averse to the pure Truth"

And by long custom the mind becomes reconciled with it, and the judgment itself infected.

A Call to Conscience

Through the force of long custom, things have been accounted lawful which are repugnant to the pure instructions of Truth. But as many, who were once in darkness, have come to see the Light, may we not hope that others may be favored in like manner?

"May we look upon our treasures, and the furniture of our houses, and the garments in which we array ourselves, and try whether the seeds of war have any nourishment in these our possessions"

Looking on our circumstances, in this age of the world, I am persuaded that we, as a people, have need to consider our ways with a care beyond what has been generally practiced.

End of Excerpts