# The author of Amazing Grace

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-author-of-amazing-grace/51689>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 25, 2001, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-author-of-amazing-grace/51689 "2001-01-25T06:24:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-author-of-amazing-grace/51689/1 "2001-01-25T06:24:32Z")

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I’m listening to Charlotte Church singing it now and I’m reminded of a Bill Moyer’s special on PBS that I saw a while ago. If I remember correctly it was noted that the man who wrote it was a slave trader.

Is this true? Perhaps he was a reformed slave trader. I’d hate to think such a beautiful song about redemption was written by a man who never found any.

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**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-author-of-amazing-grace/51689/2 "2001-01-25T06:27:47Z")

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Here you go:

[http://www.joyfulheart.com/misc/newton.htm](http://www.joyfulheart.com/misc/newton.htm)

Arjuna34

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-author-of-amazing-grace/51689/3 "2001-01-25T06:46:47Z")

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Thanks! My faith in humanity has been restored in less than 5 minutes.