--- title: "The creator of ‘Amazing Grace’ was a sailor with a foul mouth" description: "John Newton was not what you'd call a lucky man. The man who penned the hymn Amazing Grace sure lived a life that would inspire such work." date: "2021-08-24" modified: "2022-10-25" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/amazing-grace/" categories: - "History" - "Navy" --- # The creator of ‘Amazing Grace’ was a sailor with a foul mouth ![]() John Newton was not what you'd call a lucky man. One day, he went off to visit some friends in London and was caught up along the way by a press gang – Royal Navy troops sent just to force people into serving aboard the king's ships. He found himself a midshipman on the HMS Harwich, a position he of course tried to desert immediately. But he was found out, flogged in front of the ship's company and even attempted suicide. But the hard luck doesn't end there. The man who penned the hymn "[Amazing Grace]()" sure lived a life that would inspire such work. ![Amazing Grace writer]() *If you ever have a bad day, remember John Newton through his autobiographical writing. (The Cowper and Newton Museum/ Wikimedia Commons)* John Newton's luck was bad even before his impressment. He was practically an orphan; his mother died of tuberculosis when he was six and he was forced to live with a cold, unfeeling relative. After joining the Navy, Newton renounced his faith and plotted to kill his shipmates. He was so difficult to work with, the crew of the Harwich decided to transfer him to the HMS *Pegasus* en route to India. The *Pegasus* was a slave trader, but the change in ships did not suit Newton's temper. The Pegasus decided to leave him in West Africa during one of its slaving missions. Not quite marooned but not far from it, Newton connected with an actual slaver. He joined the crew of a slave ship and openly challenged the captain by creating catchy [songs]() about him filled with curses and language unlike anything anyone had ever heard. Sailors were known for their foul mouths, but Newton's was so bad the slaver's captain almost starved him to death for it. That's when a large storm hit their ship. ![Amazing Grace british slaver ship]() *Life aboard a British slaver in the mid-1700s. (public domain)* The storm nearly sunk the ship, but Newton and another crewman tied themselves to the ship's pumps and began to work for 11 hours to keep it from capsizing. After their miraculous escape, Newton saw the storm as a message from God. He began to work harder, eventually commanding his own slaving ship and sailing between ports in Africa and North America. Eventually, the man collapsed from overwork. He returned to England and never sailed again. It was in his adopted home of Olney where he wrote a series of autobiographical hymnals, including the well-known "Amazing Grace" as we call it today. In this work, Newton learned how he was a "wretch" due to his participation in the North Atlantic Slave Trade. In life, he set out to help abolish it in England. Newton new connected with William Wilberforce, the British Parliamentarian who led the charge against slavery in Britain and ended it in the Empire in 1807. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()