James Ramsay (abolitionist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Ramsay
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Portrait of James Ramsay by Carl Frederik von Breda, 1789
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| Born | 25 July 1733 |
| Died | July 1789 |
James Ramsay (born July 25, 1733 – died July 1789) was a Scottish ship's surgeon (a doctor on a ship), an Anglican priest, and a very important leader in the movement to end slavery in Great Britain. He spent many years working to improve the lives of enslaved people.
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James Ramsay was born in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. His father, William Ramsay, was a ship's carpenter. James first trained to be a surgeon (a doctor who performs operations). He studied at King's College, Aberdeen, and later in London.
In 1757, James joined the British Navy. He worked as a surgeon on a ship called the Arundel in the West Indies. This was a group of islands in the Caribbean. In 1759, his ship stopped a British slave ship called the Swift. When Ramsay went onto the Swift, he saw over 100 enslaved people living in terrible conditions. This shocking experience deeply affected him and made him want to fight against slavery. While serving in the navy, he broke his leg and was unable to serve at sea anymore. He walked with a limp for the rest of his life.
A New Path: Becoming a Priest
In 1761, James Ramsay left the navy to become a priest in the Anglican church. He wanted to help enslaved people in the Caribbean. So, he traveled to the island of Saint Christopher, which is now called Saint Kitts. There, he became a priest in two different churches.
In 1763, James Ramsay married Rebecca Akers. Her father owned a plantation on St Kitts. James and Rebecca had four children, one son and three daughters. Sadly, their son died young from small-pox. He caught the disease from his father, who had been helping on a ship where people were sick.
Fighting for Change in the Caribbean
Ramsay welcomed both Black and white people into his church. He wanted to teach enslaved people about Christianity. Besides being a priest, he also used his medical skills. He offered free medical care to the poor people in the community. He also worked as a surgeon on several plantations. This allowed him to see firsthand the harsh conditions and cruel treatment that enslaved people faced every day.
He strongly spoke out against the brutal punishments given to enslaved people. He became even more determined to improve their lives. He tried to get involved in local government to make changes. However, many plantation owners did not like his ideas. They attacked him personally because he was trying to interfere with their practices. Ramsay wrote letters to the Bishop of London, describing the attitudes of the people who owned plantations at that time.
In 1777, Ramsay left St Kitts. He was tired from constantly arguing with the powerful plantation owners. He returned to Britain and lived for a short time with Sir Charles Middleton. Sir Charles and his wife, Lady Middleton, became strong supporters of the fight against the slave trade.
Ramsay briefly rejoined the navy in 1778 as a chaplain. He helped gather information against the French in the West Indies. In 1780, he returned to Britain to help Sir Charles Middleton, who was working to improve the Navy. Ramsay became a Vicar (a type of priest) in Teston and Nettlestead, Kent. These were important positions given to him by Middleton.
Leading the Fight Against Slavery
For the next three years, Ramsay worked on his most important book, An Essay on the Treatment and Conversion of African Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies. It was published in 1784. This book greatly influenced Beilby Porteus, who was a bishop. It helped him campaign to improve the conditions of enslaved people. Ramsay's book also brought the debate about the slave trade to public attention. He wrote several other books and articles to support the cause.
Ramsay became an early member of a group called the Testonites. This group included important politicians, people who helped others (philanthropists), and churchmen. They met at Barham Court, the home of Sir Charles and Lady Middleton. Lady Middleton and others convinced Ramsay to publish his stories about the horrors of the slave trade. This was the first time the British public read an anti-slavery book written by a mainstream Anglican writer who had actually seen the suffering of enslaved people on West Indian plantations.
Again, plantation owners in England strongly challenged him. They felt threatened by his anti-slavery writings. They tried to say his claims were false and attacked his reputation. This led to many arguments and debates in published pamphlets.
Ramsay met with William Pitt the Younger, who was the prime minister of Britain. He also met with William Wilberforce in 1783. Ramsay played a big part in starting the campaign against the slave trade. In 1786, Ramsay met Thomas Clarkson. This meeting encouraged Clarkson to work tirelessly to find firsthand evidence of the slave trade. This eventually led to the creation of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade the next year.
Legacy
James Ramsay was very important to the growing movement against slavery. Sadly, he died in July 1789 and was buried in Teston, before he could see slavery finally end. Historian James Watt said that even Ramsay's enemies agreed he was a good person. Watt believed that the end of the British slave trade in 1807 owed a lot to James Ramsay's honesty, strong arguments, and helpful ideas.
Works
- An Essay on the Treatment and Conversion of African Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies (1784)
- An Inquiry Into the Effects of Putting a Stop to the African Slave Trade: And of Granting Liberty to the Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies (1784)
See also
