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Amazing Grace is probably the most beloved hymn of the last two centuries. The soaring

spiritual describing profound religious elation is estimated to be performed 10 million times

annually and has appeared on over 11000 albums. !t was referenced in "arriet #eecher $towe%santi&slavery novel Uncle Toms Cabinand had a surge of popularity during two of nation%s

greatest crises' the (ivil )ar and the *ietnam )ar. #etween 1+,0 and 1+,-udy (ollins%recording spent /, wees on the chart and peaed at number .Aretha 2ranlin 3ay (harles

ohnny (ash )illie 4elsonand5lvisare among the many artists to record the song. 3ecently6resident 7bamaburst into the familiar tune during the memorial service for 3everend (lementa

6incney a victim of a heinous church shooting in (harleston $outh (arolina.

!ronically this stirring song closely associated with the African&American community waswritten by a former slave trader ohn 4ewton. This unliely authorship forms the basis of

Amazing Grace the new #roadway musical 8written by #roadway first&timer (hristopher $mith

a former 6hiladelphia policeman and playwright Arthur Giron9 which tells 4ewton%s life story

from his early days as a licentious libertine in the #ritish navy to his religious conversion and

taing up the abolitionist cause. #ut the real story behind the somewhat sentimental musical toldin 4ewton%s autobiography reveals a more comple: and ambiguous history.

ohn 4ewton a former slave trader who wrote the beloved hymn ;Amazing Grace.;

4ewton was born in 1,- in

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of the word until a considerable time afterwards he later wrote. "e did begin reading the #ible

at this point and began to view his captives with a more sympathetic view.

!n the musical ohn ab@ures slavery immediately after his shipboard epiphany and sails to#arbados to search for and buy the freedom of Thomas. After returning to 5ngland 4ewton and

his sweetheart >ary (atlett dramatically confront the 6rince of )ales and urge him to abolishthe cruel practice. !n real life 4ewton continued to sell his fellow human beings maing three

voyages as the captain of two different slave vessels The ?ue of Argyle and the African. "esuffered a stroe in 1, and retired but continued to invest in the business. !n 1,/ he was

ordained as an Anglican priest and wrote -B0 hymns to accompany his services. "e wrote the

words for Amazing Grace in 1,,- 8!n 1BC )illiam )aler put the words to the popular tune4ew #ritain9

Amazing Grace published in ;7lney "ymns; in 1,,+. 86hoto' 6hotocopy of ;7lney "ymns;

on page C D6ublic domainE via )iimedia (ommons9

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!t was not until 1,BB C years after leaving it that he renounced his former slaving profession bypublishing a blazing pamphlet called Thoughts pon the $lave Trade. The tract described the

horrific conditions on slave ships and 4ewton apologized for maing a public statement so many

years after participating in the trade' !t will always be a sub@ect of humiliating reflection to methat ! was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders. The

pamphlet was so popular it was reprinted several times and sent to every member of 6arliament.

nder the leadership of >6 )illiam )ilberforce the 5nglish civil government outlawed slaveryin Great #ritain in 1B0, and 4ewton lived to see it dying in ?ecember of that year. The passage

of the $lave Trade Act is depicted in the -00/ film also calledAmazing Grace starringAlbert

2inneyas 4ewton and !oan Gruffud as )ilberforce.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amazing_grace_in_OlneyHymns1779.jpghttp://www.biography.com/people/albert-finney-9295280http://www.biography.com/people/albert-finney-9295280http://www.biography.com/people/albert-finney-9295280https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amazing_grace_in_OlneyHymns1779.jpghttp://www.biography.com/people/albert-finney-9295280http://www.biography.com/people/albert-finney-9295280