People who protested against slavery and the slave trade, and wanted to end it were known as abolitionists. Sandwell and the Midlands were home to a number of important abolitionists. The opponents of slavery and the slave trade in Sandwell were mainly influenced by the Lunar society or Methodism.

The Lunar Society often met at Great Barr Hall on the border of West Bromwich. This was the home of Samuel Galton. The lodge survives today as a private residence on the Queslet Road. It sought to propagate mainly the most advanced scientific ideas, but also took positions on moral, social and political issues of the day, particularly the slave trade and slavery. The society generally was against slavery. Soho House in Birmingham, the home of Matthew Boulton, now operates as a museum and is the place where the Lunar Society most often met.

Methodists sought to root their religion in the working class that was growing within the new towns and cities of the Midlands and north England. The six industrial towns now known as Sandwell emerged as a pocket of Methodism.

Methodist admitted anyone irrespective of class or background. Methodist preachers sought out the poor and the factory worker. People were taught to read the bible and given the opportunity to organize and lead congregations whatever their status or position.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, regularly preached in the open air from a set of steps which are now preserved in nearby Wednesbury. The High Bullen has now been laid out as a park with a commemorative plaque.