The Slave Trader Who Cried Out in the Storm

On March 10, 1748, a violent storm battered the slave ship Greyhound in the North Atlantic. John Newton, a twenty-two-year-old sailor hardened by years of profanity, cruelty, and the slave trade, woke to find his cabin flooding. Waves tore away part of the upper deck. As crew members were swept overboard, Newton found himself lashed to the helm, pumping water for hours in freezing darkness.…