It's not every day this kind of historical investigation happens, especially in a relatively new city like Seattle: Seattle Pacific University is home to 43 letters written by John Newton, the slave trader who eventually became an abolitionist. Newton is perhaps best known as the writer of the song "Amazing Grace," which is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Newton was "part of 'a loose but extensive network of late-18th- and early-19th-century British evangelicals including William Wilberforce who corresponded and collaborated on the effort to abolish slavery throughout the Empire.'" After years of neglect, the letters are now scanned, curated, and available for your perusal online. You can read more at SPU's magazine, Response, and read PDF scans of the letters at SPU's digital commons.