John Newton, who had worked in the Atlantic slave trade, nearly died in a violent storm in 1748 and called out to God for mercy; that moment began his conversion. He later studied theology, became an Anglican clergyman and a British abolitionist, and wrote the words of 'Amazing Grace' to illustrate a New Year's Day sermon in 1773. The hymn first appeared in print in 1779 in the Olney Hymns and stayed largely obscure in England. In the United States it spread during the Second Great Awakening, and in 1835 it was joined to the tune 'New Britain', the melody most often sung today.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.