The Impace of John Laurens on Martha Laurens Ramsay

Furthermore, Martha was greatly illuminated by his dearest brother John Laurens. In her father’s mind, John Laurens had set a good example for Martha. In 1770, accompanying with his father, John and his two younger brothers left their hometown and went to England for education. John completed his studies in Europe, first in London in 1771, then in Geneva, Switzerland in 1772, finally in London to learn laws in 1774. When Martha arrived at England in 1775, John picked her up on her landing. Being older, John would like to share his views with his sister and help Martha to continue her education. According to Ramsay, John “had taken great delight in forwarding her education, and particularly in forming her mind to be superior to the common accidents of life, and the groundless fears of some of her sex.”

Living in abroad for almost five years, John accepted well education and became an enlightened man. He was a good friend to both John Bicknell and Thomas Day, who “formed part of the link between the culture of sensibility and the growing English antislavery movement.” Bicknell and Day collaborated on literary works, most notably the antislavery poem, The Dying Negro, published in 1773. In the poem, they described the destiny of an African Negro who was enslaved by Europeans, could not obtain his freedom and finally committed suicide. Illuminated by Dicknell and Day, John was very sympathy to the African slaves.