Anti-slavery medallion

Am I not a man and a brother?
Made by Wedgwood in Stoke-on-Trent between 1790 and 1799

The medallion shows a kneeling enslaved African in chains. The slave is asking, 'Am I not a man and a brother'? Europeans who supported the slave trade treated Africans like goods to be bought and sold. The phrase 'Am I not a man and a brother?' reminded British people that Africans should be treated like human beings.

Over 200 000 pottery medallions like this were made to promote the abolition of the slave trade in the 1700s

Credit/copyright:   © Hull Museums
Accession number:   Hull Museums KINCM.1982.306

Themes
The Campaign for Abolition