Sorry I'm so wrong about My Information...Do You think the folks on the ship sang in their own language? Do think they had Hope? I know the writer of the song is unknown also...I'm wrong about a lot of things in life, but It's fine to be corrected also. The Heart of the story was the suffering of the people and how it was widely accepted in America for so long!...We still have Gods Grace, His only Son Jesus died for our Sins....AMAZING GRACE...........Harold