William Wilberforce was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. In 1785, he became an evangelical Christian, which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform. He headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for twenty years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. In later years, he supported the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery, and continued his involvement after 1826. That campaign led to the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, which abolished slavery in most of the British Empire.
About William Wilberforce in brief
William Wilberforce was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming an independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire. In 1785, he became an evangelical Christian, which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform. He headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for twenty years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. In later years, he supported the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery, and continued his involvement after 1826. That campaign led to the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, which abolished slavery in most of the British Empire. He died just three days after hearing that the Passage of the Act through Parliament was assured. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, close to his friend William Pitt the Younger. He became interested in evangelical Christianity due to his relatives’ influence, especially that of his aunt Hannah, sister of the wealthy Christian merchant John Thornton, a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading Methodist preacher George Whitefield. He championed causes and campaigns such as the Society for the Suppression of Vice, British missionary work in India, the creation of a free colony in Sierra Leone, and the foundation of the Church Mission Society. His underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially controversial legislation, and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad.
The deaths of his grandfather and uncle in 1777 had left him independently wealthy as a result of little inclination or need to apply himself to serious study. Instead he immersed himself in student life and a socialistic lifestyle, enjoying gambling and late-night drinking sessions – he found the excesses of some of his fellow students distasteful. He made many friends including the more studious future Prime Minister William Pitt, who he called ‘Witty Witty’ Despite his lack of interest in studying, he managed to pass his examinations and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1781 and a Master of Arts in 1788. In October 1776, at the age of 17, he went up to St John’s College, Cambridge. He later became a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of London, and was a trustee of St Paul’s Hospital, London, until his death in 1833. He also served as an MP for Yorkshire from 1780 until 1826, when he resigned from Parliament because of his failing health. He had a son, William, who was born in 1759 and a daughter, Mary, who died in 1852. He is buried in the Westminster Abbey. He wrote a book about the life of his friends and family, including his aunt, Hannah Thornton, and his uncle, John Thornton and his cousin, the philanthropist John Thornton. The book, published in 1787, is called The Life and Adventures of William Wilber Force, published by William and Mary.
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This page is based on the article William Wilberforce published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 08, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
