11. Newton Despised Slavery Because Of His Religious Beliefs And Education, According To His Son Tom
While Newton’s grandfather, John Knight (1773-1861) was one of the largest slave owners during his life, Newton’s dad did not inherit slaves from him. Not only did Newton’s father, Albert Knight (1799-1862) not inherit slaves from his father but he never owned slaves himself. However, we are unsure if this had to do with Albert’s beliefs or the fact that he was a poor farmer who passed away shortly after his father’s death, so he never had a chance to inherit slaves. No one has stated Albert’s thoughts on slavery. People have only said Newton’s opinions on slavery, but some believe that his father’s views were similar to his.
According to Newton’s son, Tom, who wrote a biography on his father, Newton did not like the institution of slavery for moral reasons. In the memoir, Tom states that his father was a Primitive Baptist. In fact, Newton’s beliefs were so strong that he did a lot of things his father and grandfather did not do, including rejecting alcohol. Tom further explains that it was Newton’s beliefs and education about the Primitive Baptist teachings that made him oppose the institution of slavery. In 1858, Newton married Serena Turner. Instead of staying close to his family farm, the couple moved to the next county and established their own small farm without slavery.