Title

Autographed letter from James Ramsay to Catherine Macaulay, 1774-07. Creator: James Ramsay.

Caption

Autographed letter from James Ramsay to Catherine Macaulay, 1774-07. British abolitionist James Ramsay writes to historian Macaulay. 'The story, now, is of the ineffectual strivings of a narrow bottomed opposition against the blunders and intrigues of a dissipated enslaving court, or the dishonourable shackles of aristocracy forged out of the ruins of prerogative and rivetted by corruption. After the restoration, the nation wanted both virtue and ability to make the proper use of the advantages which accident, and the superstition and villainy of its Governours, threw into its power. Our diminutive tyrants at present seem to suffer all the effects of a lethargy. While their fingers itch and their teeth gnash to crush and devour the few men of sentiment among us, the terrour of their past villainies petrifies their hearts, and holds them trembling and shuddering under the expectation of vengeance...'.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art

Reference

HRM23A16_316

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

80,9Mb (3,1Mb) / 16,0in x 19,6in / 4805 x 5883 (300dpi)

Keywords

library government politics power British letter color greed political text century Colonial Britain handwriting document sepia concept correspondence slavery lettering public library MONOCHROME tyranny Colour 18th century abolitionist criticism Eighteenth Century New York Public Library NYPL heritage abolition anti-slavery colonialism imperialism slave trade Graham Catherine Abolitionism cultural heritage Black History James Ramsay Ramsay James Heritage Art Macaulay Catharine Schomburg Center for Research Correspondence Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Rev. James Ramsay Reverend James Ramsay Catherine Macaulay Catharine Graham Catharine Sawbridge Sawbridge