Bury the Chains Chapters 15 16 and 17

In Chapter fifteen why such a profound social movement erupted so suddenly within England is discussed. Hochschild provides several reasons for why this occurred in England as opposed to other countries. The first reason is "brilliant planning". Because of the "close alliance between the fiery radical clarkson and the cautious Evangelical Wilberforece- and the political tendencies each man represented- was central and long- lasting". Although this team and their planning skills could not have done it on their own, there were other factors. Clarkson's five months of travel around England in 1787 was also crucial to the spark of the abolitionist movement. In addition there is a link between industrialism's rationality, or the way uprooted, exploited workers identified with uprooted, exploited slaves. Yet other European nation with slave colonies did not start antislavery movements when they industrialized, there was something different about Britain. Britain, unlike other countries of the time, had a high functioning postal service. The postal service would also distribute newspapers daily that were not censored by any means. People could shar what they pleased and these "newspapers were curcial to the spread of antislavery feeling". Also besides newspapers what Britain had to offer were coffeehouses. Abee Prevost declared coffee houses the "seats of English liberty". All these unique traits of Britain helped push the antislavery movement into motion before any other country.
In Chapter sixteen the fact that women were considered "improper people" to sign an antislavery petition really stuck me. It had not occurred to me that all along women for the most part were kept out of all the petitioning and opinions were not taken seriously for political debates such as the antislavery movement. Although the fact that they had begun signing petitions shows that they too were taking their first steps forward for activism. " Women were supposed to kepp demurely silen about politics, but once again the movement was drawing them into public life."
In Chapter seventeen "The Black Decade" describes the activists lives as trying to escape a witch hunt. They received death threats, were arrested, harrassed and some had their houses burnt down. It was not easy in the past to speak out against something and get away with it. Those who opposed your oppionion would surly seek revenge against you. Similar thing still happen today, they are not as extreme but they cause that person trauma and make it more difficult to pursue heir cause. It is as if those who disagree with an activist do not know who to properly fight back, their only solution is to hurt them. But that does not hurt their cause, they keep fighting for it.