Abolition, a movement lasting from 1688 to 1888 AD, was an important theological push to embrace the truth of Scripture. God created people in his image. Not only that, all people groups and nations were created from one man.
To support chattel slavery, people invented lies about ethnicity and race. Abolitionists, on the other hand, sought truth in the Bible. Armed with God’s Word, they chose to spend their lives fighting for freedom for all people.
No study of history is complete without an understanding of the Christians and the biblical arguments that helped lead to the end of global slavery. Our kids need to know how the Lord orchestrated events in order to bring millions of human souls out of bondage.
Teach your kids about Christian history with the Who What Why series for 8-11 year olds!
Acts 17:26
Our children need to understand that our skin color, the nations we live in, and our ethnicity, is the sovereign creation of our loving Father God. Contrary to the teachings of philosophers at the time of Abolition, who taught racist lies about the humanity of those with darker skin, Acts 17:26, ESV, states:
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place…
All people are created by God–human and descended from Adam.
My narrative history from Christian Focus Publication, Why Did Slavery End?, is a fun way for your kids to learn about the Christian fight to end slavery across the globe. Kids will read about the end of slavery by region. They will also read about the biblical arguments against chattel slavery, and the biblical arguments for the imago Dei–that all humans are made in the image of God.
During the time of the abolitionists, only one out of every twenty-three people was free. In the world your child is growing up in today, ninety-nine out of every one hundred people is free. Abolitionists sought biblical truth in God’s Word. They spent their lives teaching others what the Bible says about how we love and treat others, and fighting for the freedom of all God’s people.
Why Did Slavery End?
Slavery has been around for a long time. In the Bible, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, and the Israelites were slaves in Egypt until God freed them. Even much more recently, people were kidnapped and made to work. For a while, Christians ignored that slavery is wrong and pretended that enslaved people were not their neighbors. But a lot of Christians realized they were wrong, and between 1688 and 1888 AD there was a big fight to put a stop to slavery. This is the story of these Christians who loved their neighbors and how they fought to free them.
Have you ever ignored a dirty sock on the bathroom floor, stepping around it for days? People do that with sin, too. But sin is much worse than a filthy sock. Sin violates God’s laws and separates us from him. Sin hurts other people–it is the opposite of love.
Why Did Slavery End?, Danika Cooley (Christian Focus Publications, 2023), page 16
Handprint Wreath Craft
Kids learn through story and hands-on activities. Check out this fun video of the Acts 17:26 handprint wreath craft!
Your Handprint Wreath Supplies
- Paper Plate
- Cardstock (flesh colored and white)
- Scissors
- Glue
- Pencil
- Ribbon
- Hole Punch
- Printable Templates with Instructions
- Don’t forget this fun book that will help your kids learn all about the biblical arguments and historical fight against global chattel slavery: Why Did Slavery End?
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Acts 17:26 Handprint Wreath Craft | Instructions
Your child’s handprint wreath craft is a great way to help them consider Acts 17:26 from God’s Word as they read Why Did Slavery End? from the Who What Why series!
1) Print your Acts 17:26 verse frame.
Print the Acts 17:26 ESV and KJV verse frames on cardstock. Cut out the verse frame in the version of your choice.
2) Prepare your handprint wreath base.
Cut out the center of paper plate to create a base for your wreath.
3) Make your Acts 17:26 handprints.
Trace your children’s hands on different shades of paper. Cut out each handprint.
Glue the hands to the paper plate, with the palm toward the center. Layer the hands as you glue, so that you create a multi-layered handprint wreath as shown in the pictures.
Punch two holes at the bottom of each hand, all the way through the paper plate, as shown.
4) Assemble your handprint wreath.
Lace a ribbon through the holes along the center of your handprint wreath.
Finish your ribbon in a bow.
5) Apply the Acts 17:26 ESV or KJV verse frame.
Glue your Acts 17:26 Bible verse frame, in either ESV or KJV, to the top of your handprint wreath.
Your child can display their Acts 17:26 handprint wreath craft
to help them remember what they’ve learned about Scripture in history from
Why Did Slavery End?,
and the rest of the Who What Why Series Christian history books!
Learn more about the Who What Why series and get your FREE Abolition Lapbooks here.
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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Christian Biographies for Kids | Christian History for Kids | Theology for Kids
Christian History Matters for Our Kids.
History matters. Now, more than ever, we see how important it is for our children to know and understand history and the Bible.
Here’s why:
- God is the sovereign ruler of all things. It’s important for our kids to see his hand in the history of nations and in the lives of both peasants and kings.
- Christian history is the story of our family history. Our kids get to see how people who love Jesus follow him.
- Understanding history can help our kids learn historic and biblical theology. They learn what the Bible says and what that means for us. They also see when the study of Scripture has taken important turns that have changed the Church.
- Reading Christian biographies and history can be a wonderful way for kids to think outside their own time and culture. God’s Church spans centuries and includes people from every nation.
- Christian biographies help kids consider their own faith, walk with Jesus, and the impact their witness may one day have on others–and on history.
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