Dismal Picture of Human-Trade in Hannah More’s “Slavery: A Poem”

Abstract

This paper examines Hannah More’s abolitionist poem “Slavery: A Poem” (1788) as a powerful literary intervention against the transatlantic slave trade. Situating More within the tradition of Romantic women writers and British antislavery poetry, the study analyses the poem’s depiction of the inhumane conditions endured by African slaves and its appeal to public sympathy and moral conscience. The article explores how More employs sentimental rhetoric, religious ethics, and the philosophy of natural rights to condemn human trafficking and expose the moral corruption of slave traders driven by extreme greed. By foregrounding African suffering and invoking ideals of liberty and humanity, More’s poem emerges as a significant cultural and nation-building text within the abolitionist movement. Through a close textual reading, the paper highlights the role of women’s literary voices in shaping antislavery discourse and mobilising public opinion in late eighteenth-century Britain.