“Amazing Grace” was written by a former slave trader.

John Newton worked as a captain on slave ships even after his conversion to Christianity at the age of 23. To be fair, this decision was not as life-altering as the hymn may cause you to think it was. The main reason for Newton’s conversion was when he managed to survive a turbulent storm at sea. At the time, John had no regrets about his occupation, despite his newfound beliefs. He quit the slave trade 7 years later, but once again not for any sort of moral reason! A decade later, Newton was ordained a priest and is thought to have composed his famous hymn in 1772. However, it was not written about his own deep remorse for his involvement in the slave trade because he did not express any regrets until 8 years AFTER writing “Amazing Grace”!
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