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Teachers' notes for 'How important was William Dolben to the abolition of slavery?'
During the 18th Century a powerful anti-slavery movement developed. William Dolben was a Northamptonshire landowner who was disgusted by the conditions that enslaved Africans were forced to endure. This topic uses archive items from Northampton Record Office to explore Dolben's role in the eventual abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It is the winning entry in a competition amongst PGCE History ITT students at the University of Leicester in 2006/7.
Overall learning objectives:
- To know who William Dolben was and the contribution he made to the abolition of slavery
- To assess how crucial Dolben was to the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade
- To evaluate the usefulness of archive materials in the study of history
Key Stage 3 History: Activity 1
Learning objectives:
- To know what the abolition of slavery was
- To understand why it was allowed to continue
- To assess how the locality played a part
Suggested starter activity. Ask students to:
- Record what they already know about Britain's role in the slave trade
- Speculate on what role people in Northamptonshire may have had in opposing or supporting slavery
Students may wish to learn more about Josiah Wedgwood's slave medallions at
The Icons of the West Midlands Website
Key Stage 3 History: Activity 2
Learning objectives:
- Begin to know how Dolben contributed to abolition
- Start to understand the effect Dolben's work had on enslaved Africans
- Make judgements about the use of archive items for historical enquiry
Suggested activity (whole-class or groups):
- Make hard copies of the letter or display using whiteboard / projector.
- Students should highlight any information that suggests what activity Dolben undertook and what Dolben was like as a person
- Ask students to think about what other evidence they would need in order to answer the questions above
Key Stage 3 History: Activity 3
Learning objectives:
- Understand arguments for and against the abolition of slavery
- Assess William Dolben's role in the abolition of slavery
- Evaluate why abolition was not brought about in 1791
Suggested activity:
Students use all the archive items for this topic to debate and explore the issue of slavery. They might also wish to use archive items from other topics on this site:
- The life of George Africanus, citizen of Nottingham
- What did the people of Nottinghamshire know about slavery?
Activities can be differentiated to take account of learning styles and ability -options include:
- a formal debate for and against slavery
- role play and freeze frames to examine William Dolben's motives
- creating senses mind maps to explore the experience of enslaved Africans
- writing poetry from the point of view of a slave ship doctor or a rich abolitionist
Students might also wish to learn about the life of Olaudah Equiano at
The Equiano Project Website
Key Stage 3 History: Activity 4
Learning objectives:
- Appreciate the impact of archive material on the understanding of local history
- Demonstrate how archive material can be used to support historical interpretation
Suggested activity:
- Students should produce an information leaflet to inform local people about William Dolben and why he is important, or
- Students prepare an assembly for their year group using power point presentations
