Timeline December 1807

Events in December 1807 2

• 1725 – 1807 John Newton (1725-1807) Died 21 December 1807, aged 82 John Newton was an English clergyman and former slave-ship captain who became a leading evangelical preacher and abolitionist. He wrote the hymn 'Amazing Grace' and supported William Wilberforce's campaign against the slave trade. He died in London on 21 December 1807, living to see the British abolition act passed that year.
• 1807 Embargo Act of 1807 passed United States bans trade with foreign nations Congress passed the Embargo Act, signed by President Jefferson on 22 December 1807, prohibiting American ships from trading with foreign ports. It aimed to pressure Britain and France to respect American neutral shipping rights but devastated the US economy, especially New England. The unpopular law was repealed in 1809.