The involvement of whites in ending slavery is a chapter that history often glosses over. Yet, without the determined efforts of these individuals, the abolition of slavery might have been delayed for decades. In this roundup we spotlight the top 10 whites whose activism, advocacy, and moral courage helped turn the tide against the institution of slavery.

Why These Top 10 Whites Matter

10 Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin entered the antislavery arena late in his life, despite earlier years in which he owned slaves and even published ads for slave sales in his Pennsylvania Gazette. Yet, he also used the same newspaper to run antislavery notices sponsored by Quaker allies, showing an evolving conscience.

In 1787, Franklin was elected president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, a group that had originally formed in April 1775 as the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage. Beyond merely opposing slavery, the society advocated for the full integration of freed African Americans as American citizens.

One of Franklin’s final public acts was to affix his signature to an antislavery petition on February 3, 1790, submitted to Congress by his society. The petition sparked a heated debate when read before both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In the end, the Senate chose neither to approve nor reject the measure, while the House appointed a committee to study its feasibility. On March 5, the committee concluded that Congress lacked the authority to prohibit the importation of slaves or to free slaves before 1808. Franklin passed away a month later, on April 17, 1790.

9 Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin, best known for formulating the theory of evolution, harbored strong anti‑slavery sentiments, though he never broadcast them publicly. Evidence of his stance surfaces in a collection of private letters addressed to family, friends, and colleagues, in which he expressed clear opposition to the slave system.

Some scholars argue that Darwin may have been motivated to develop his evolutionary theory as a scientific rebuttal to contemporary claims that Black and White peoples descended from distinct ancestors—a notion often used to justify slavery. Yet, before unveiling his theory, Darwin worried that it could be misinterpreted as supporting slavery if he failed to address certain biological parallels.

He noted that slavery also existed in nature, citing the slave‑making ant Formica sanguinea, which habitually robs the species Formica fusca of its labor. Darwin clarified that the sanguinea ants had evolved a dependence on their fusca slaves and would perish within a year without them—a stark contrast to humans, who had not evolved such a parasitic relationship.

8 William Fox

British abolitionist William Fox sought to cripple the slave trade by orchestrating a massive boycott of sugar produced through enslaved labor. In 1791, he released a pamphlet urging citizens to abstain from slave‑produced sugar, arguing that a single family could free a slave by refusing sugar for 21 months. He calculated that if 38,000 families participated, the entire system could be dismantled.

The pamphlet proved wildly popular, with 70,000 copies sold out in just four months. Within a year, roughly 400,000 Britons had joined the boycott, either eschewing sugar altogether or opting for sugar cultivated with free labor in the East Indies.

The campaign’s impact was tangible: sugar sales fell by one‑third, while imports from India surged by an astonishing 1,000 percent. Despite this economic shock, the boycott alone could not eradicate the institution of slavery.

7 John Jay

Founding Father John Jay also threw his weight behind the antislavery cause. In 1785 he founded the New York Society for the Manumission of Slaves and the Protection of such of them as had been or wanted to be Liberated, a group that counted Alexander Hamilton among its members. Ironically, many of the society’s participants were slave owners themselves.

Hamilton attempted to tighten the organization’s moral compass by proposing a rule that required any member wishing to remain in the society to free their own slaves. The proposal, however, was swiftly blocked by the very slave‑owning members it sought to reform.

Operating primarily within New York, the society protested the kidnapping of enslaved and free Black individuals, offered legal assistance to those in bondage, and even opened a school for Black children, striving to improve conditions despite internal contradictions.

6 William Wilberforce

Parliamentarian William Wilberforce emerged as a pivotal figure in Britain’s fight to end slavery. Convinced that divine providence had called him to the cause, he joined the abolitionist movement in 1786 after being persuaded by fellow reformer Thomas Clarkson to champion antislavery legislation in the House of Commons.

Wilberforce’s first attempt to pass an antislavery bill came in 1789, when he publicly rebuked his fellow legislators for permitting slavery to persist under their watch. The proposal was rejected, but he persisted, re‑introducing the bill in 1790, only to face another defeat.

His third opportunity arrived in 1807, when the ongoing Anglo‑French War distracted Parliament. This time, Wilberforce focused not on abolishing slavery outright but on prohibiting the trans‑Atlantic slave trade between British and French merchants. The resulting legislation slashed the slave trade by roughly 75 percent. Wilberforce continued to press for the emancipation of enslaved people in Africa and the British colonies, culminating in the Slavery Abolition Act of July 26, 1833, which outlawed slavery across most of the empire. He died three days after the act’s passage.

5 George Fox

George Fox, the founder of the Religious Society of Friends—better known as the Quakers—advocated for the inherent equality of all humans, a belief that categorically rejected the notion of human ownership. In 1657 he penned a letter condemning slavery to fellow Quakers who owned slaves, laying the groundwork for a broader Quaker antislavery stance.

The Quaker movement grew louder in the 1750s, formally prohibiting members from owning slaves and urging non‑Quakers to emancipate any enslaved people they held. In 1783 the Quakers dispatched an antislavery petition to the British Parliament, which was ignored because Quakers were not members of the Anglican establishment.

Undeterred, the Quakers helped form the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade, a coalition of nine Quakers and three Anglicans tasked with raising public awareness about slavery and lobbying for legislative change.

4 Elizabeth Heyrick

Elizabeth Heyrick, hailing from Leicester, England, proved herself a fierce advocate for emancipation. She authored numerous pamphlets denouncing slavery and, together with Susannah Watts, established the Birmingham Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves, a group that funneled substantial financial support to William Wilberforce’s abolitionist campaign.

Unlike Wilberforce, who initially focused solely on ending the slave trade, Heyrick demanded the immediate abolition of slavery itself. She even threatened to withhold her financial contributions unless Wilberforce broadened his agenda to include full emancipation.

Heyrick’s activism extended to local campaigns against slave‑produced sugar. In Leicester she likened consumers of such sugar to “receivers of stolen goods,” accusing plantation owners of theft. She also publicly chastised fellow abolitionists for their sluggish tactics and over‑reliance on parliamentary action.

3 Anne Knight

Anne Knight, a devoted Quaker, championed the abolition of slavery while simultaneously fighting for women’s suffrage. In the 1830s she organized antislavery meetings, distributed pamphlets, and forwarded petitions to Parliament, dedicating herself fully to the cause.

Her commitment to gender equality grew after she attended the 1840 World Anti‑Slavery Convention in London, where she observed that American women delegates were denied seating. This injustice spurred her to pivot toward women’s rights, ultimately inspiring the formation of the Sheffield Female Reform Association in 1851, one of the first organized suffrage groups.

Knight’s dual legacy highlights how the struggle for human freedom often intersected with the fight for gender equality, illustrating the broader scope of 19th‑century reform movements.

2 William Lloyd Garrison

In 1833, William Lloyd Garrison founded the American Anti‑Slavery Society, a powerful organization that swelled to over 200,000 members by 1840. The society became the United States’ leading abolitionist force, counting freed slave Frederick Douglass among its most prominent speakers and advocates.

The group employed a range of tactics, from sending antislavery petitions to Congress to publishing incendiary journals and pamphlets that sometimes featured stark propaganda. These activities provoked fierce backlash from pro‑slavery factions, who frequently raided meetings and threatened members.

While Garrison himself opposed direct political involvement, a faction within the society favored a more political approach. In 1839 this faction split off to create the American and Foreign Anti‑Slavery Society, which later evolved into the Liberty Party in 1840, further diversifying the abolitionist movement’s strategies.

1 John Woolman

John Woolman, a devout Quaker, abandoned his tailoring trade to devote his life entirely to the abolition of slavery. Beginning in 1746, he traversed the American colonies, visiting slave owners and urging them to emancipate the people they held in bondage.

Woolman’s commitment to non‑violence extended to his personal habits: he refused to stay in inns that housed enslaved people whenever possible, and when he did, he always offered payment even if the owners declined. He also shunned goods produced by slave labor, which is why his clothing remained undyed—most dyes at the time were manufactured using enslaved labor.

In 1772, while traveling in England, Woolman declined to ride a coach from London to York because the coachmen over‑worked the horse‑boys and the horses themselves. Instead, he walked the 645‑kilometer (400‑mile) journey, preaching his anti‑slavery message along the way. Shortly after reaching York, he contracted smallpox and died on October 7, 1772.

Oliver Taylor is a freelance writer and bathroom musician. You can reach him at [email protected].

Some tunes fade into the background, while others keep resurfacing on playlists, in movies, and at parties. The magic of a song that 10 songs have endured isn’t always about deep lyrics; sometimes it’s a catchy riff, a viral dance, or a band that simply nailed the vibe. Below you’ll find a hand‑picked selection of tracks that have proven their staying power across generations. Try to keep your foot from tapping while you read – we dare you!

10 Songs Have Shaped Music History

10 Elvis Presley

The tale behind Elvis’s “All Shook Up” is a little tangled. Most historians credit Otis Blackwell with penning the song after a Shalimar Music executive saw him give a Pepsi bottle a good shake and urged him to capture that “all shook up” feeling in a tune.

Another version surfaces from an October 1957 interview where Presley claimed a vivid dream left him “all shook up,” prompting him to ring a friend and instantly co‑write the song with Blackwell. Either way, the result was a smash.

Recorded in January 1957, “All Shook Up” dominated the Billboard Top 100 for eight straight weeks and became Presley’s debut UK number‑one, holding that spot for seven weeks. The single moved over two million copies and is hailed as a cornerstone of the 1950s rock‑and‑roll wave that helped dissolve post‑war racial divides in America.

9 Little Eva

Dance crazes didn’t start with the Macarena; they began much earlier. In 1962, “The Loco‑Motion” burst onto the scene, written by the prolific duo Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Contrary to popular myth, the song wasn’t inspired by Eva Boyd’s chores‑turned‑dance; she was simply handed the track after Dee Dee Sharp passed on it.

The tune sparked a line‑dance frenzy and astonishingly re‑entered the American Top 3 three separate times, each in a different decade. Little Eva, formerly Eva Boyd, crafted the accompanying steps herself and performed them live, cementing the song’s place in dance‑floor history. When Kylie Minogue covered it in 1987, the single’s renewed success helped launch her contract with PWL Records.

8 Chubby Checker

Chubby Checker’s rendition of Hank Ballard & The Midnighters’ “The Twist” still gets bodies rotating on the dance floor, more than six decades after its debut. First released in 1960 and re‑released in 1962, the track topped the Hot 100 both times.

In a 2020 phone interview, Checker explained the song’s appeal: “I just say it’s dancing apart to the beat because we don’t touch each other when we look at each other and do the boogie. That’s why it’s caught on the way it has: because of the style of the dance.” A perfect explanation for its resurgence during a socially‑distanced era.

7 The Eagles

The 1970s were a kaleidoscope of disco glitter, bell‑bottoms, and the rallying cry “make love, not war.” While ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, and Diana Ross ruled the charts, the decade also birthed rock anthems like “Stairway to Heaven,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Amid this sonic tapestry, The Eagles unleashed “Hotel California” in 1976. Originally titled “Mexican Reggae,” the track earned a nod from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a song that helped shape the genre, leading to the band’s 1998 induction. Even today, it remains the group’s signature piece, performed live more than a thousand times.

6 Prince

The 1980s are often hailed as a golden era for pop culture, delivering classics from “Sweet Child O’Mine” to “Billie Jean” and “Eye of the Tiger.” Amidst this vibrant backdrop, Prince delivered one of his most iconic tracks, “When Doves Cry.”

Director Albert Magnoli asked Prince to craft a song that would echo the emotional turbulence of the film “Purple Rain,” focusing on parental conflict and a fraught romance. By the next morning, Prince had produced two songs, with “When Doves Cry” emerging as the standout.

The single vaulted Prince to his first Billboard Hot 100 number‑one, resonating worldwide and cementing its place as a timeless masterpiece.

5 Bill Medley, Jennifer Warnes

The 1980s also birthed unforgettable movie soundtracks, from the soaring chords of “Top Gun” to the synth‑laden beats of “Flashdance.” One film that captured the era’s spirit was “Dirty Dancing,” featuring a rich mix of classics by The Ronettes, Bruce Channel, and Eric Carmen.

Yet the anthem that truly defined the movie was the duet “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. This soaring ballad underscored the climactic lift‑and‑spin finale, earning an Oscar for Best Original Song and becoming a perennial karaoke favorite.

Interestingly, the track was originally slated for Donna Summer and Joe Esposito, but Summer declined the title, paving the way for the Medley‑Warnes rendition that still dominates radio waves today.

4 Michael Jackson

The 1990s ushered in a wave of pop icons – Britney Spears, the Spice Girls, and Ace of Base – while also delivering gritty grunge from Nirvana, the experimental sounds of Radiohead, and the lyrical prowess of The Notorious B.I.G. Amid this eclectic mix, Michael Jackson, already a legend from his 1982 “Thriller” era, dropped “Black or White” in 1991.

Described as a rock‑dance anthem championing racial harmony, the song vaulted to the fastest climb on the Billboard Hot 100 since The Beatles’ “Get Back.” By 1992, it had become the best‑selling single worldwide, solidifying Jackson’s cross‑generational appeal.

3 Roxette

Swedish pop‑rock duo Roxette released “Joyride” as the lead single from their third studio album in 1991. The track quickly ascended charts across Europe and the United States, becoming one of the band’s most celebrated hits.

Drawing heavy inspiration from 1960s rock, Roxette amassed 19 UK top‑40 entries and four U.S. number‑ones. Their cultural impact was such that both members, Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson, were honored with their own postage stamps in Sweden, making them the nation’s second‑biggest selling act after ABBA.

2 Meat Loaf

The 1990s also saw the rise of the power ballad, with anthems like “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and “Wind of Change.” Meat Loaf’s epic “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” stands out as a twelve‑minute tour‑de‑force.

The single conquered 28 national charts, clinching a Grammy for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance. Fans have long debated the cryptic line “But I Won’t Do That,” a mystery Meat Loaf finally clarified in 2014, explaining it refers to the lyrical line preceding each chorus.

1 The Killers

As the new millennium dawned, boy‑band dominance waned while alternative rock, post‑punk, and Britpop surged. The 2000s delivered hits like Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab,” Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On,” Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” and Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida.”

Amid this vibrant scene, The Killers released “Mr Brightside” in 2003. An upbeat anthem of jealousy and betrayal, it quickly became a sing‑along staple and, astonishingly, holds the record for one of the longest‑charting songs in UK history, lingering for a total of 208 weeks.