Hannah More's The Sorrows of Yamba; or, The Negro Woman's Lamentation was published in 1797 as part of the Cheap Repository Tracts, a series of moral and religious pamphlets designed for working-class readers. Co-authored with Eaglesfield Smith, the poem presents the lament of Yamba, an African woman kidnapped and enslaved. More's evangelical abolitionist message aligns with the broader efforts of the Clapham Sect, which sought to end slavery through religious and social reform.
The poem was widely circulated and became one of the most reprinted anti-slavery texts in Britain, contributing to the moral argument that led to the Slave Trade Act of 1807. It reinforced the idea that abolition was a Christian duty, a central belief of the Clapham Sect. More's influence extended beyond literature, and she worked closely with figures like William Wilberforce to push for social change.
This work was significant because:
- It was one of the earliest abolitionist poems aimed at a mass audience, making abolitionist rhetoric accessible to the public.
- It contributed to the religious and humanitarian justification for abolition, framing slavery as a moral evil rather than a political issue.
- It was used as a tool for persuasion, reinforcing public support for the abolitionist cause.
Works Cited
"The Sorrows of Yamba; or, The Negro Woman's Lamentation." Published by J. Marshall, London, 1797. Broadside from the Broadsides and Ephemera Collection, Duke University Libraries. Public domain. Available at: https://repository.duke.edu/dc/broadsides/bdseg19111