William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce was one of the most influential and renowned British politicians and humanitarians of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He dedicated his life to the cause of abolishing the slave trade and slavery in the British Empire and around the world. He was a leader of the Clapham Sect, a group of evangelical Christians who advocated for social reforms and moral improvement. He was also a friend and supporter of William Pitt the Younger, who became Prime Minister at the age of 24. Wilberforce was born on August 24, 1759 in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England. He was the only son of a wealthy merchant family who had made their fortune in the Baltic trade. He was educated at Hull Grammar School and St John’s College, Cambridge, where he met Pitt and became interested in politics. He was elected as an independent Member of Parliament for his native city in 1780, at the age of 21. In 1785, Wilberforce underwent a religious conversion and became an evangelical Christian. This changed his outlook on life and society, and made him more concerned about the welfare of others. He joined forces with Thomas Clarkson, Granville Sharp, Hannah More, Charles Middleton and other abolitionists who were campaigning against the slave trade, which involved the brutal transportation and exploitation of millions of Africans across the Atlantic. They formed the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade in 1787 and persuaded Wilberforce to be their spokesman in Parliament. Wilberforce faced fierce opposition from many powerful interests who profited from the slave trade, such as plantation owners, merchants, bankers and politicians. He also had to overcome public indifference and prejudice towards the enslaved Africans. He used his eloquence, persistence and moral conviction to raise awareness and rally support for his cause. He introduced numerous bills and motions in Parliament to ban the slave trade, but they were repeatedly defeated or delayed by various tactics. After 20 years of struggle, Wilberforce finally achieved his first major victory in 1807, when the Slave Trade Act was passed by Parliament and received royal assent from King George III. The act prohibited British subjects from engaging in the slave trade anywhere in the world. However, this did not end slavery itself, which still existed in British colonies and territories. Wilberforce continued to campaign for the complete abolition of slavery and emancipation of all enslaved people. In 1823, he helped form the Anti-Slavery Society, which launched a mass petition campaign to pressure Parliament to pass an abolition bill. He also supported the efforts of other abolitionists around the world, such as William Lloyd Garrison in America and Simón Bolívar in South America. In 1833, after years of debate and compromise, Parliament finally passed the Slavery Abolition Act, which abolished slavery throughout most of the British Empire (except India) and freed about 800,000 enslaved people. Wilberforce died on July 29, 1833 in London, just three days after hearing that the passage of the act was assured. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, near his friend Pitt. He was widely mourned and celebrated as a hero of humanity and a champion of freedom. His legacy lives on in many monuments, memorials and institutions that bear his name or honour his memory. He is also remembered as a devout Christian who exemplified faith in action and love for God and neighbour.