Chapters 11, 12/13 and 15.

Chapter 15; The Sweets of Liberty

The beginning of the chapter emphasizes the fact that the British support of Thomas Clarkson's abolitionist movement had grown at a staggering pace. It was incredible how quickly it "caught the public imagination" (213). With the help of the loyal Quakers in the background of things, as well as Equiano's successful novel, things were actually starting to gain momentum in Britain. However, for every other European nation that had been industrialized this was not the case. While Britons were industrial enough to first build the modern turnpike to save travel time, they were also the first to adapt this enlightened trend of ending slavery. With the invention of newspapers which was pivotal in keeping citizens of Britain up to date with uncensored global trends, coffee shops across the country served as a place where the working class could come together each morning. Even while political pamphlets and petitions were spreading through the works of John Wilkers in the 1760's, there was still only 5% of the population that could vote for the House of Commons. This "enslavement" was the incentive and motivation that caused many Britons to join the abolitionist's movement earlier than most. One obvious reason for this quickly growing movement was that an end to slavery would not directly affect most British citizens, while in America it would. Many British men faced the constant threat of press gangs and forced entry into the British Navy. This was a constant threat to all classes of men, not just the working class. Men were "kidnapped" at gunpoint in their homes, and thrown on to a ship as a sailor. Hundreds of brawls broke out between press gangs and their victims. Thomas Clarkson, as he had proven in the past, was just as opposed to this type of injustice as any in the past. Impressment was a tough obstacle to get over, and did not find it's end until the middle of the 18th century.

Chapters 12/13; 167-174, 192-198

In Chapters 12 and 13 of "Bury the Chains", author Adam Hochschild explains a greater background story of Equiano. After a successful book was published, Olaudah Equiano set out on a book tour that brought him all around Europe, the West Indies, as well as the Americas. While being the sole publisher of the book, he earned a great deal of wealth. With his voiced opinions about interracial marriage (radical at the time,) he went on to marry a white woman, proving his own theories. At a time where many people were told that every slave was illiterate and mentally incapable, it was quite shocking too many that an ex slave could achieve such success in the literature field. The first hand accounts that he described were the straw that broke the camels back for many slavery supporters at the time. The reader is then introduced to different anti-slavery tactics that were gaining popularity in Britain. The newly thought of sugar boycott was easily communicated to the masses by use of "the pamphlet." Clarkson, with the evidence from his interviews and gained knowledge, then wrote another novel entitled "The Abstract" that explored the brutality slaves were put up against. While not referencing The Bible in any context throughout Clarkson's novel, this journalistic account had a great deal of graphic details. His hard work and experimental approach to the subject of slavery contributed greatly to the content of the novel.

Chapter 11; "Ramsay is Dead-I Have Killed Him"

In Chapter 11 of "Bury the Chains", Adam Hochschild mentions the "positive swing" that the abolition movement has gained. Wilberforce, member of Parliament, first introduced a bill of abolition at a meeting. This was a huge stepping stone in the process; because for the first time the topic was discusses in a government setting. Out of fear by the Britons that the French would gain full control of the slave trade business if they ended it right away, the thought was tossed out. Clarkson swiftly went out seeking real-life witnesses with first hand struggles fresh in their minds. The whole process was sped up because of the international tension between the French and British. The reader is then told of the Brookes Diagram, which was a slave ship with artistic modified diagrams that laid out the module for many of the present slave ships. The diagram shows where 480 slaves were forced to sleep on their voyage, and clearly proved that the living conditions were unbearable and too minuscule for any group of people to live in. This was definitely a tactic of shock and awe, and provided a bigger argument for the abolition fighters.