William Wilberforce (August 24, 1759 – July 29, 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist and slavery abolitionist. A native of Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780 and became the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire (1784–1812) and a close friend of Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger. In 1785 he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical Christian. In 1787 he came into contact with Thomas Clarkson and a group of anti-slave trade activists, including Granville Sharp, Hannah More and Lord Middleton. They persuaded Wilberforce to take on the cause of abolition; and he soon became one of the leading English abolitionists, heading the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade until the eventual passage of the Slave Trade Act in 1807. Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Kingston upon Hull, often simply referred to as Hull, was a parliamentary constituency in Yorkshire, electing two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1305 until 1885. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Yorkshire, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. ... The election to the 5th Parliament of the United Kingdom was the fourth general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Bramber is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. ... The election to the 5th Parliament of the United Kingdom was the fourth general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1759 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1833 (MDCCCXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Robert Isaac Wilberforce (1802-1857), English clergyman and writer, second son of William Wilberforce, was born in December of 1802. ... A photo of Samuel Wilberforce by Lewis Carroll Samuel Wilberforce (September 7, 1805 - July 19, 1873), English bishop, third son of William Wilberforce, was born at Clapham Common, London. ... Henry William Wilberforce (September 22, 1807 - April 23, 1873), the youngest son of William Wilberforce, was an English Catholic journalist and author. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1759 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1833 (MDCCCXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, or reputation to a charitable cause. ... Slave redirects here. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Yorkshire, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... William Pitt the Younger (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British politician of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. ... Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religious identity, or a change from one religious identity to another. ... Evangelicalism, in a strictly lexical, but rarely used sense, refers to all things that are implied in belief that Jesus is the savior. ... Thomas Clarkson by Carl Frederik von Breda Thomas Clarkson (28 March 1760 – 26 September 1846), abolitionist, was born at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England, and became a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... Granville Sharp (10 November 1735 - 6 July 1813) was an British campaigner for the abolition of the slave trade. ... Hannah More (February 2, 1745 - September 7, 1833) was an English religious writer and philanthropist. ... Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham (October 14, 1726) - (June 17, 1813) was a British sailor and politician. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... A parliamentarian is a specialist in parliamentary procedure. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Slave Trade Act (citation ) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in 1807 the long title of which is An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Main article: Atlantic slave trade The act abolished the slave trade in the British empire. ...

Wilberforce was convinced of the importance of religion, morality and education. He also championed other causes and campaigns, including the Society for Suppression of Vice, the introduction of Christianity to India, the creation of a free colony in Sierra Leone, the foundation of the Church Mission Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. His underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad. The Society for the Suppression of Vice was founded by the sainted William Wilberforce, whose involvement in the abolition of the slave trade, 200 years ago, is widely celebrated, although other less laudable effects of his activities are ignored. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... The Church Mission Society, known as the Church Missionary Society in Australia and New Zealand, is an evangelistic society working with the Anglican Church and other Protestant Christians around the world. ... The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is any of a number of societies whose operations include protecting and providing shelter to animals in danger. ...

In later years Wilberforce supported the campaign for complete abolition, which eventually led to the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833; this Act paved the way for the complete abolition of slavery in the British Empire. A tireless campaigner for the abolition of slavery, Wilberforce died just three days after hearing that the passage of the Act through Parliament was secure. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, close to his friend William Pitt. Categories: | | ... For a comprehensive list of the territories that formed the British Empire, see Evolution of the British Empire. ... Slave redirects here. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ...

Early life

William Wilberforce was born in Hull on 24 August 1759, the only son of Robert Wilberforce (1728–1768), a wealthy merchant, and his wife Elizabeth. His grandfather William (1690–1776) had made the family fortune through the Baltic trade and had been elected mayor of Hull on two occasions.^[1] Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1759 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Eastland Company, or North Sea Company, was an English crown-chartered company, founded in 1579 to foster trade with Scandinavia and Baltic states. ...

Wilberforce was described as a sickly and delicate child.^[2] In 1767 he began attending Hull Grammar School,^[3] at the time headed by a young, dynamic headmaster, Joseph Milner, who was to become a life-long friend.^[4] Wilberforce profited from the supportive atmosphere at his school until the death of his father in 1768. With his mother struggling to cope, the nine-year-old Wilberforce was sent to a prosperous uncle and aunt who lived in St James' Place, London and in Wimbledon, at that time a village to the south-west of London. He attended an "indifferent" boarding school in Putney for two years, spending his holidays in Wimbledon, where he grew extremely fond of his relatives^[5] and was influenced towards evangelical Christianity by his aunt Hannah, the sister of the wealthy Christian merchant John Thornton and a supporter of George Whitefield.^[6] Joseph Milner (1744 - 1797), English evangelical divine, was born at Leeds and educated at Leeds grammar-school and Cambridge. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... , This article is about the district of London. ... Putney is a district of south-west London in the London Borough of Wandsworth. ... Evangelicalism, in a strictly lexical, but rarely used sense, refers to all things that are implied in belief that Jesus is the savior. ... John Thornton (1720-1790) was a merchant banker and Christian philanthropist. ... George Whitefield (December 16, 1714 - September 30, 1770), was a minister in the Church of England and one of the leaders of the Methodist movement. ...

Wilberforce's staunchly Church of England mother and grandfather, concerned at these nonconformist influences and at his leanings towards evangelicalism, brought their 12-year-old son back to Hull in 1771, heartbroken to be separated from his aunt and uncle.^[7] His family opposed a return to Hull Grammar School because the headmaster had become a Methodist; Wilberforce therefore continued his education at nearby Pocklington School from 1771–76.^[8][9] Influenced by Methodist scruples, he initially resisted Hull's lively social life, but with his religious fervour diminishing, he embraced theatre-going, attending balls and playing cards.^[10] The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[3] in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communions thirty-eight independent national churches. ... A nonconformist is an English or Welsh Protestant of any non-Anglican denomination, chiefly advocating religious liberty. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Pocklington School, is a public school in Pocklington, East Yorkshire, England. ...

In October 1776, at the age of seventeen, Wilberforce went up to St John's College, Cambridge.^[11] The deaths of his grandfather and uncle in 1776 and 1777 respectively had left him independently wealthy,^[12] and as a result he had little inclination or need to apply himself to serious study; instead, he immersed himself in the social round of the students.^[12][11] He pursued a hedonistic lifestyle for the time, enjoying playing cards, gambling and late-night drinking sessions – although he found the extreme behaviour of some of his fellow students distasteful.^[13][14] Witty, generous, and an excellent conversationalist, Wilberforce was a popular figure. He made many friends, including the more studious future Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger.^[15][14] Despite his lifestyle and disinclination towards study, he managed to pass his examinations,^[16] and was awarded B.A. in 1781 and M.A. in 1788.^[6] College name The College of Saint John the Evangelist of the University of Cambridge Motto Souvent me Souvient (Latin: I often remember) Named after The Hospital of Saint John the Evangelist Established 1511 Location St. ... The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the most prestigious universities in the world. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... William Pitt the Younger (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British politician of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B.) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... The degree of Master of Arts degree is an undergraduate degree awarded by the universities of Oxford and Cambridge as well as by the University of Dublin. ...

Early parliamentary career

A statue of William Wilberforce can be seen outside Wilberforce House in Hull, where Wilberforce was born.

Wilberforce began to consider a political career while still at university. During the winter of 1779–80, he and Pitt frequently watched House of Commons debates from the gallery. Pitt, already set on a political career, encouraged Wilberforce to join him as soon as they were both able to obtain seats.^[17][18] In September 1780, at the age of twenty-one and while still a student, he was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston upon Hull,^[6] spending over £8,000 on ensuring he received the necessary votes, as was the custom of the time.^[19][20] Free from financial pressures, Wilberforce sat as an independent, resolving to be "no party man".^[21][6] Wilberforce attended Parliament regularly, but he also maintained a lively social life, becoming a regular attender at gentlemen's gambling clubs such as Goostree's in Pall Mall. Madame de Staël described him as the "wittiest man in England"^[22] and, according to the Duchess of Devonshire, the Prince of Wales said that he would go anywhere to hear Wilberforce sing.^[23][24] Wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches; James Boswell witnessed Wilberforce's eloquence in the House of Commons and noted: "I saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table; but as I listened, he grew, and grew, until the shrimp became a whale."^[25] During the frequent government changes of 1781–1784 Wilberforce supported his friend Pitt in parliamentary debates,^[26] and in autumn 1783 Pitt, Wilberforce and Edward Eliot, Pitt's brother-in-law, travelled to France.^[6] After a difficult start in Rheims, where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were English spies, they travelled to Paris, where they met Benjamin Franklin, General Lafayette, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, and joined the French court at Fontainebleau.^[27][28] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 408 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1515 × 2223 pixels, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 408 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1515 × 2223 pixels, file size: 2. ... Wilberforce House is the birth place of William Wilberforce and is located in Kingston upon Hull, England. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... A Gentlemens club is a members club, originally for male members of the English gentry. ... Pall mall illustrated in Old English Sports, Pastimes and Customs, published 1891 Pall mall (pronounced pal-mal or pell-mell) or palle maille was a game played in the 16th and 17th centuries, and a precursor to croquet. ... Madame de Staël Anne Louise Germaine de Staël (April 22, 1766 – July 14, 1817) was a French-speaking Swiss author living in Paris and abroad who determined literary tastes of Europe at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. ... George IV redirects here. ... James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck and 1st Baronet (October 29, 1740 - May 19, 1795) was a lawyer, diarist, and author born in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Edward James Eliot (August 24, 1758 – September 20, 1797), Member of Parliament, was born in Cornwall, the son of Edward Craggs-Eliot (1727 – 1804), politician, created Baron Eliot in 1784. ... Reims (English traditionally Rheims) is a city of north-eastern France, 98 miles east-northeast of Paris. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Benjamin Franklin (January 17 [O.S. January 6] 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the most well known Founding Fathers of the United States. ... Lieutenant General & National Guard Commander-in-Chief Lafayette in 1792 at ~35yrs. ... Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ... Louis XVI Louis XVI (August 23, 1754 - January 21, 1793), was King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then King of the French in 1791-1792. ... Coordinates Administration Country Region ÃŽle-de-France Department Seine-et-Marne (sous-préfecture) Arrondissement Fontainebleau Canton Fontainebleau (chief town) Intercommunality Communauté de communes de Fontainebleau-Avon Mayor Frédéric Valletoux (2005-2008) Statistics Altitude 42–150 (avg. ...

Pitt became prime minister in December 1783, with Wilberforce a key supporter of his minority government.^[29] Despite their close friendship, there is no record that Pitt offered Wilberforce a ministerial position in this or future governments. This may have been due to Wilberforce's wish to remain an independent MP. Alternatively, Wilberforce's frequent tardiness and disorganisation, as well as his chronic eye problems, may have convinced Pitt that his trusted friend was not ministerial material.^[30] When Parliament was dissolved in spring 1784 Wilberforce decided to run as a candidate for the county of Yorkshire in the 1784 General Election.^[6] On 6 April, when the Whigs were defeated, he was returned as MP at the age of twenty-four.^[31] Yorkshire, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. ... The British general election of 1784 resulted in William Pitt the Younger securing an overall majority of about 120 in the British House of Commons, having previously had to survive in a House which was dominated by his opponents. ... The Whigs (with the Tories) are often described as one of two political parties in England and later the United Kingdom from the late 17th to the mid 19th centuries. ...

Conversion

In October 1784 Wilberforce embarked upon a tour of Europe which would change his life and ultimately his future career. He travelled with his mother and sister in the company of Isaac Milner, the brilliant younger brother of his former headmaster, who had been Fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge in the year that Wilberforce first went up. They visited the French Riviera, enjoying the usual pastimes of dinners, cards and gambling.^[32] However, in February 1785 Wilberforce returned temporarily to United Kingdom in order to support Pitt’s proposals for parliamentary reforms, later rejoining the party in Genoa, Italy, and continuing the tour to Switzerland. Milner accompanied him to England, and on the journey they read Philip Doddridge's Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul.^[33] Category: ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Full name The Queens College of Saint Margaret and Saint Bernard in the University of Cambridge Motto Floreat Domus May this House Flourish Named after - Previous names - Established 1448 Sister College(s) Pembroke College President Lord Eatwell Location Silver Street Undergraduates 490 Postgraduates 270 Homepage Boatclub The Gatehouse, as... The Quai des États-Unis in Nice on the French Riviera at night. ... For other uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ... There is more than one Philip Doddridge important to history: Philip Doddridge (Nonconformist) Philip Doddridge (Virginia) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Wilberforce is thought to have started his spiritual journey at this time. He began to rise early to read the Bible and pray, and he kept a personal private journal.^[34] He underwent an evangelical conversion, regretting his past life and resolving to commit his future life and work to the service of God.^[6] He sought guidance from John Newton, a leading evangelical Anglican clergyman of the day and Rector of St Mary Woolnoth in the City of London.^[35][36] Both Newton and Pitt counselled him to remain in politics, and he resolved to do so "with increased diligence and conscientiousness."^[6] His conversion changed some of his habits but not his nature: he remained outwardly cheerful, interested and respectful, tactfully urging others towards his new faith.^[37] Inwardly, he became relentlessly self-critical, harshly judging his spirituality, use of time, vanity, self-control and relationships with others.^[38] For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. ... For other persons of the same name, see John Newton (disambiguation). ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... Exterior of St Mary Woolnoth St Mary Woolnoth is an Anglican church in the City of London, located on Lombard Street near the Bank of England. ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state Constituent country Region Greater London Status City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor David Lewis  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - Total 1. ...

In 1786 Wilberforce began his parliamentary campaign for social reform by introducing the Registration Bill, proposing changes to parliamentary election procedures.^[6][39] He also brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of convicted murderers: the bill proposed including other criminals, such as rapists, arsonists and thieves. It also advocated reducing the sentences for women convicted of treason, a crime which at the time included a husband's murder. Both bills were passed by the Commons but defeated in the Lords.^[40][41] Dissected rat showing major organs. ... Execution is a synonym for the actioning of something, of putting something into effect. ... For other uses, see Treason (disambiguation) or Traitor (disambiguation). ...

Abolition of the slave trade

Initial decision

Diagram of a slave ship, the Brookes, intended to illustrate the inhumane conditions aboard such vessels

In 1783 Wilberforce, while dining with his old Cambridge friend Gerard Edwards at his home in Curzon Street, London,^[42] had met former ship's surgeon Rev. James Ramsay, who had become a clergyman on the island of St. Christopher (later St. Kitts) and medical supervisor of the plantations there. What Ramsay had witnessed of the conditions of the slaves both at sea and on the plantations horrified him and, returning to England fifteen years later, he accepted the living of Teston, Kent in 1781. At Teston, Ramsay met with Sir Charles Middleton, Lady Middleton, Thomas Clarkson, Hannah More and others to campaign against the slave trade, a group who later became known as the Testonites.^[43] The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom. ... Curzon Street is located within the exclusive Mayfair district of London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... James Ramsay (1733–1789) was a ship’s surgeon, Anglican minister and leading abolitionist. ... Saint Kitts (also/previously known as Saint Christopher) is an island in the Caribbean. ... A plantation economy is an economy which is based on agricultural mass production, usually of a few staple products grown on large farms called plantations. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... This article is about the village of Teston, Kent. ... Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham (October 14, 1726) - (June 17, 1813) was a British sailor and politician. ... Thomas Clarkson by Carl Frederik von Breda Thomas Clarkson (28 March 1760 – 26 September 1846), abolitionist, was born at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England, and became a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. ... Hannah More (February 2, 1745 - September 7, 1833) was an English religious writer and philanthropist. ...

Inspired by his new faith, Wilberforce was increasingly interested in humanitarian reform, and in November 1786 he received a letter from Sir Charles Middleton that renewed his interest in the slave trade.^[44][45] At the urging of Lady Middleton, Sir Charles suggested Wilberforce should bring forward the cause of the abolition of the slave trade in Parliament. Wilberforce responded that "he felt the great importance of the subject, and thought himself unequal to the task allotted to him, but yet would not positively decline it".^[46] He continued to read widely, and met with the Testonites at Middleton’s home at Barham Court in Teston in the early winter of 1787.^[47] There are a number of meanings for humanitarianism: humanitarianism, humanism, the doctrine that peoples duty is to promote human welfare. ...

In early 1787, Thomas Clarkson, a fellow graduate of St. John's, Cambridge who had become convinced of the need to end the slave trade after writing an prize-winning essay on the subject while studying at Cambridge,^[43] called upon Wilberforce at Old Palace Yard with a published copy of work.^[48][49] The MP's response was "that the subject had often employed his thoughts, and that it was near his heart."^[50] This was the first time the two men had met; their collaboration would last nearly fifty years.^[51][52] Clarkson began to call at Wilberforce's home on a weekly basis, bringing first-hand evidence he had obtained about the slave trade.^[51] The Quaker members of the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade also recognised their need for influence within Parliament. They urged Clarkson to secure a commitment from Wilberforce to bring forward the case for abolition in the House of Commons.^[53][54] The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, or Friends, is a religious community founded in England in the 17th century. ... The Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade was formed on May 22, 1787, when twelve men gathered together at a printing shop in London, England, and committed themselves to founding the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. ...

It was arranged that Bennet Langton, a Lincolnshire landowner and mutual acquaintance of Wilberforce and Clarkson, would organise a dinner party in order to ask Wilberforce formally to lead the movement in Parliament.^[55] The dinner took place on 13 March 1787, other guests including Charles Middleton, Sir Joshua Reynolds, William Windham, MP, James Boswell and Isaac Hawkins Browne, MP. By the end of the evening they had elicited the response that they sought, and Wilberforce had agreed in general terms that he would bring forward the abolition of the slave trade in Parliament, "provided that no person more proper could be found".^[56] For other places with the same name, see Lincolnshire (disambiguation). ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (July 16, 1723–February 23, 1792) was the most important and influential of eighteenth-century English painters, specialising in portraits and promoting the Grand Style in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. ... William Windham (1780-1810) was an English statesman, born of an ancient Norfolk family. ... Isaac Hawkins Browne (7 December 1745—30 May 1818) was the only son of Isaac Hawkins Browne (poet) (1705-60). ...

The same spring, on 12 May 1787, the still hesitant Wilberforce held a conversation with William Pitt and the future Prime Minister William Grenville as they sat under a large oak tree on Pitt's estate in Kent.^[6] Under what came to be known as the 'Wilberforce Oak' at Holwood, Pitt challenged his friend: "Wilberforce, why don’t you give notice of a motion on the subject of the Slave Trade? You have already taken great pains to collect evidence, and are therefore fully entitled to the credit which doing so will ensure you. Do not lose time, or the ground will be occupied by another."^[57] This meeting was critical in Wilberforce’s decision to take up the cause, and, although his response is not recorded, he later declared in old age that he could "distinctly remember the very knoll on which I was sitting near Pitt and Grenville."^[58] is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville (October 25, 1759 - January 12, 1834), was a British statesman and Prime Minister. ... Holwood House is a country house in Keston, near Hayes, in England. ...

Early parliamentary action

Following highly successful efforts to raise public awareness and support by the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, Wilberforce planned to move a motion giving notice that he would be bringing forward a bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade during the 1789 parliamentary session. However, in January 1788 he was taken ill with a probable stress-related condition, thought to be ulcerative colitis.^[59][60] It was some months before he was able to resume work, and he spent time convalescing at Bath and Cambridge. His regular bouts of gastro-intestinal illnesses precipitated the use of moderate quantities of opium, which proved effective in alleviating his condition,^[61] and which he continued to use for the rest of his life.^[62] The history of slavery covers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures and throughout human history. ... , Bath is a small city in Somerset, England most famous for its historic baths fed by three hot springs. ... This article is about the drug. ...

During Wilberforce's absence, Pitt, long supportive of abolition, introduced the preparatory motion himself, and ordered a Privy Council investigation into the slave trade, followed by a House of Commons review.^[63][64] A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically in a monarchy. ...

The House of Commons in Wilberforce's day by Augustus Pugin and Thomas Rowlandson (1808–11)

With the publication of the Privy Council report in April 1789, and after months of planning Wilberforce, commenced his parliamentary campaign.^[65][66] On 12 May 1789 he made his first major speech on the subject of abolition in the House of Commons, in which he reasoned that the trade was morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice. Drawing on Thomas Clarkson's evidence, he described in detail the appalling conditions in which slaves travelled from Africa in the middle passage, and argued that abolishing the trade would also bring an improvement to the conditions of existing slaves in the West Indies. He moved twelve resolutions condemning the slave trade, but made no reference to the abolition of slavery itself, instead dwelling on the potential for reproduction in the existing slave population should the trade be abolished.^[67][68] With the tide running against them, the opponents of abolition delayed the vote by proposing that the House of Commons hear its own evidence, and Wilberforce, in a move that has subsequently been criticised for prolonging the slave trade, reluctantly agreed.^[69][70] The hearings were not completed by the end of the parliamentary session, and were deferred until the following year.^[71] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (846x622, 113 KB) Summary The House of Commons at Westminster as drawn by Ausgustus Pugin and Thomas Rowlandson for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (846x622, 113 KB) Summary The House of Commons at Westminster as drawn by Ausgustus Pugin and Thomas Rowlandson for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (March 1, 1812–September 14, 1852) was an English-born architect, designer and theorist of design now best remembered for his work on churches and on the Houses of Parliament. ... Thomas Rowlandson (July 1756 - April 22, 1827) was an English caricaturist. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1789 (MDCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the slave trade route. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ...

In January 1790, Wilberforce succeeded in speeding up the hearings by gaining approval for a smaller Parliamentary select committee to consider the vast quantity of evidence.^[72] Wilberforce's house in Old Palace Yard became a centre for the abolitionists' campaign, and a focus for many of the principal strategy meetings.^[6] Petitioners for other causes also besieged him there, his ante-room thronged from an early hour, like "Noah's Ark, full of beasts clean and unclean," according to Hannah More.^[73][74][24] A Select Committee is a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster System of parliamentary democracy. ...

Interrupted by a general election in June 1790,^[75] the committee finally finished hearing witnesses, and in April 1791, with a closely reasoned four-hour speech, Wilberforce introduced the first Parliamentary Bill to abolish the slave trade.^[76] However, after two evenings of debate, the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88, the political climate having swung in a conservative direction in the wake of the French Revolution, and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and slave revolts.^[77][78] Such was the public hysteria of the time that Wilberforce himself was suspected by some of being a Jacobin agitator.^[79] A bill is a proposed new law introduced within a legislature that has not been ratified, adopted, or received assent. ... The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... In the context of the French Revolution, a Jacobin originally meant a member of the Jacobin Club (1789-1794), but even at that time, the term Jacobins had been popularly applied to all promulgators of extreme revolutionary opinions: for example, Jacobin democracy is synonymous with totalitarian democracy. ...

This was the beginning of a protracted parliamentary campaign, during which Wilberforce's commitment never wavered, despite frustration and hostility. He was supported in his work by fellow members of the so-called Clapham Sect, among whom was his best friend and cousin Henry Thornton.^[80][81] Holding evangelical Christian convictions, and consequently dubbed "the Saints", the group lived in large adjoining houses in Clapham, then a village outside London. Wilberforce accepted an invitation to share a house with Henry Thornton in 1792, moving into his own home after Thornton's marriage in 1796.^[82] The "Saints" formed in an informal community, characterized by considerable intimacy as well a commitment to practical Christianity and opposition to slavery. They developed a relaxed family atmosphere, wandering freely in and out of each other's homes and gardens, and discussing the many religious, social and political topics that engaged them.^[83] The Clapham Sect was an influential group of like-minded social reformers in England at the beginning of the nineteenth century (active c. ... Henry Thornton (1760 - 1815), economist, banker, philanthropist and MP for Southwark was one of the founders of the Clapham Sect and campaigner for the abolition of the slave trade. ... Evangelicalism, in a strictly lexical, but rarely used sense, refers to all things that are implied in belief that Jesus is the savior. ... For other places with the same name, see Clapham (disambiguation). ...

On 2 April 1792 Wilberforce again brought a bill calling for abolition. The memorable debate that followed drew contributions from the greatest orators in the house, William Pitt and Charles Fox, as well as from Wilberforce himself.^[84] Henry Dundas, as home secretary, proposed a compromise solution of so-called 'gradual abolition' over a number of years. This was passed by 230 to 85 votes, but the compromise was little more than a clever ploy, with the intention of ensuring that total abolition would be delayed indefinitely.^[85] is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Statue of Charles James Fox in Bloomsbury Square, erected 1816. ... Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (April 28, 1742 - May 28, 1811) was a British statesman. ... The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ...

War with France

Medallion created as part of the anti-slavery campaign by Josiah Wedgwood, 1795

The outbreak of war with France in February 1793 effectively prevented further serious consideration of the issue, as politicians concentrated on the national crisis and the threat of invasion. On 26 February 1793, a vote to abolish the slave trade was narrowly defeated by eight votes.^[86] The same year, and again in 1794, Wilberforce unsuccessfully brought before parliament a bill to outlaw British ships from supplying foreign colonies with slaves.^[87][88] He voiced his concern at the war and urged Pitt to make greater efforts to end hostilities.^[89] Growing more alarmed, on 31 December 1794 Wilberforce moved that the government seek a peaceful resolution with France, a stance that created a temporary breach in his long friendship with Pitt.^[90] This article is about the eldest Josiah Wedgwood. ... The name First Coalition (1793–1797) designates the first major concerted effort of multiple European powers to contain Revolutionary France. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1793 (MDCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Abolition had become associated in the public consciousness with the French Revolution and with the radical societies in the United Kingdom.^[91] However, despite the decreased public interest and support for abolition, Wilberforce continued to introduce abolition bills throughout the 1790s.^[92][93] The early years of the nineteenth century once again saw increased public interest in abolition. In 1804 Wilberforce's bill to abolish the slave trade had successfully passed all its stages through the House of Commons by June. However, it was too late in the parliamentary session for it to complete its passage through the House of Lords. On its reintroduction during the 1805 session it was defeated, with even the usually sympathetic Pitt failing to support Wilberforce.^[94] On this occasion and throughout the campaign, abolition was at times held back by Wilberforce's trusting, even credulous, nature and his deferential attitude towards those in power.^[95]

Final phase of the campaign

With the death of Pitt in February 1806, Wilberforce began to collaborate more with the Whigs, especially the abolitionists in that party. He gave general support to the Grenville-Fox administration, which brought more abolitionists into the Cabinet;^[96][88] Wilberforce and Charles James Fox led the campaign in the House of Commons, while Lord Grenville advocated the cause in the House of Lords. A radical change of tactics, which involved the introduction of a bill to ban British subjects from aiding or participating in the slave trade to the French colonies, was suggested by maritime lawyer James Stephen.^[97] It was a smart move as the majority of ships were now flying American flags, though manned by British crews and sailing out of Liverpool, and supplying foreign colonies with whom Britain was at war.^[98] A bill was introduced and approved by the Cabinet, and Wilberforce and other abolitionists maintained a self-imposed silence, so as not to draw attention to the effect of the bill.^[99][100] The approach proved successful, and the new Foreign Slave Trade Bill was quickly passed, and received royal assent on 23 May 1806.^[101] Wilberforce and Clarkson had collected a large volume of evidence against the slave trade over the previous two decades, and Wilberforce spent the latter part of 1806 writing A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade, which was a comprehensive restatement of the abolitionists' case. The death of Fox in September 1806 was a blow, and was followed quickly by a general election in the autumn of 1806.^[102] Wilberforce was re-elected for Yorkshire,^[103] after which he returned to finishing and publishing his "letter", in reality a 400-page book which formed the basis for the final phase of the campaign.^[104] William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1806-1807. ... Statue of Charles James Fox in Bloomsbury Square, erected 1816. ... William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville (October 25, 1759 - January 12, 1834), was a British statesman and Prime Minister. ... French Colonies is the name used by philatelists to refer to the postage stamps issued by France for use in the parts of the French colonial empire that did not have stamps of their own. ... James Stephen (30 June 1758-10 October 1832) was an English lawyer, associated with the abolitionist movement. ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The election to the 3rd Parliament of the United Kingdom was the second general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland. ...

Lord Grenville, the Prime Minister, determined to introduce an Abolition Bill in the House of Lords rather than the House of Commons, taking it through its greatest challenge first.^[103] When a final vote was taken, the bill was passed in the House of Lords by a large margin.^[105] Sensing a breakthrough that had been long anticipated, Charles Grey moved for a second reading in the Commons on 23 February. As tributes were made to Wilberforce, whose face streamed with tears, the bill was carried by 283 votes to 16.^[101][106] The Slave Trade Act received the Royal assent on 25 March 1807.^[107] Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, (March 13, 1764 _ July 17, 1845). ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Slave Trade Act (citation ) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in 1807 the long title of which is An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Main article: Atlantic slave trade The act abolished the slave trade in the British empire. ... // The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of lawmaking by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1807 (MDCCCVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Emancipation of enslaved Africans

The hopes of the abolitionists notwithstanding, slavery did not wither with the end of the slave trade in the British Empire, nor did the living conditions of the enslaved improve. The trade continued, with other countries not following suit with abolition, and with some British ships disregarding the legislation. Wilberforce worked with the members of the African Institution to ensure the enforcement of abolition and to promote abolitionist negotiations with other countries.^[108][109]

William Wilberforce by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1828

Wishing to be more involved with his family, in 1808 Wilberforce moved his family from Clapham to a sizeable mansion with a large garden in Kensington Gore, closer to the Houses of Parliament. In ill-health, and after considerable reflection Wilberforce resigned his Yorkshire seat, and became Member for the rotten borough of Bramber in Sussex, a seat with little or no constituency obligations,^[110] although he continued to be deeply involved in parliamentary matters, including the emancipation of enslaved Africans. By 1820, after a further period of poor health, and with his eyesight failing, he took a decision to limit his public activities. Aware that the cause would need younger men to continue the work, in 1821 he asked fellow MP Thomas Fowell Buxton to take over leadership of the campaign in the Commons.^[111] Nevertheless, in 1820, Wilberforce became embroiled in unsuccessful mediation attempts between George IV and his estranged wife Caroline of Brunswick, who had sought her rights as queen.^[6] The year 1823 saw the founding of the Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery (later the Anti-Slavery Society),^[112] and the publication of Wilberforce's 56-page Appeal to the Religion, Justice and Humanity of the Inhabitants of the British Empire in Behalf of the Negro Slaves in the West Indies.^[113] In his treatise, Wilberforce urged that total emancipation was morally and ethically required, and that slavery was a national crime that must be ended by parliamentary legislation to gradually free slaves. Parliamentarians did not quickly agree, and Wilberforce's call for abolition was stymied by government opposition in March 1823.^[114] On 15 May 1823, Buxton moved another resolution in Parliament for gradual emancipation.^[115] Subsequent debates followed on 16 March and 11 June 1824 in which Wilberforce made his last speeches in the Commons, and which again saw the abolitionists outmanoeuvred by the government.^[116][117] Sir Thomas Lawrence (April 13, 1769 - January 7, 1830), was an English painter was born at Bristol. ... Kensington Gore is a street in central London, the same name having been formerly used for the piece of land on which it stands. ... Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. ... The term rotten borough referred to a parliamentary borough or constituency in Great Britain and Ireland which, due to size and population, was controlled and used by a patron to exercise undue and unrepresentative influence within parliament. ... Bramber is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. ... This article refers to the historic county in England. ... Thomas Fowell Buxton (1786 – 1845) was a British Member of Parliament and social reformer. ... George IV King of the United Kingdom George IV (George Augustus Frederick) (12 August 1762–26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom and Hanover from 29 January 1820. ... Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (later Queen Caroline; 17 May 1768 – 7 August 1821) was the queen consort of George IV of the United Kingdom from 29 January 1820 to her death. ... The Anti-Slavery Society was founded in Britain in 1823. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Wilberforce's health was continuing to fail. After further illness in 1824 and 1825, with his wife concerned that his life would be endangered if he continued,^[118] he resigned his seat in Parliament, leaving the campaign in the hands of others.^[119] Thomas Clarkson continued to travel, visiting anti-slavery groups all around Britain, and acting as an ambassador for the anti-slavery cause to other countries,^[48] and Buxton continued the fight for reform in Parliament.^[120] Public meetings were held in various parts of the country and petitions from local groups were sent to parliament demanding emancipation, with an increasing number demanding immediate abolition rather than the gradual approach favoured by Wilberforce, Clarkson and their colleagues.^[121][122]

Public opinion was changing and a wave of popular agitation began the final push forward in spring 1833.^[123] On 26 July the Whig government made major concessions during the passage of the Bill for the Abolition of Slavery through the Commons, ensuring it would pass and that slaves in the colonies of the British Empire would be freed from August 1834. The news was rushed to the failing Wilberforce, who was in London. Three days later he died.^[124] One month later, Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act which gave most enslaved people in the British Empire their freedom.^[125] is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Slavery Abolition Act (citation ) was an 1833 Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire. ...

Marriage and family

Wilberforce had shown little interest in women, but, in his late thirties, twenty-year-old Barbara Ann Spooner (1777–1847) was recommended as a potential bride.^[126] Wilberforce met her two days later on 15 April 1797, was immediately smitten,^[6] and following an eight-day whirlwind romance, proposed.^[127] Despite the urgings of friends to slow down, the couple were married in Bath, Somerset, on 30 May 1797.^[6] The couple were devoted to each other, and Barbara was very attentive and supportive to Wilberforce in his increasing ill-health, though showing little interest in his political activities.^[6] They had six children in less than ten years: William, (b. 1798), Barbara (b. 1799), Elizabeth (b. 1801), Robert Isaac Wilberforce (b. 1802), Samuel Wilberforce (b. 1805) and Henry William Wilberforce (b. 1807).^[6] Wilberforce was an indulgent and adoring father who revelled in his time at home and at play with his offspring.^[128] is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Robert Isaac Wilberforce (1802-1857), English clergyman and writer, second son of William Wilberforce, was born in December of 1802. ... A photo of Samuel Wilberforce by Lewis Carroll Samuel Wilberforce (September 7, 1805 - July 19, 1873), English bishop, third son of William Wilberforce, was born at Clapham Common, London. ... Henry William Wilberforce (September 22, 1807 - April 23, 1873), the youngest son of William Wilberforce, was an English Catholic journalist and author. ...

Other concerns

Evangelical Christianity

A supporter of the evangelical wing of the Church of England, Wilberforce believed that the revitalisation of the Church and individual Christian observance would lead to a harmonious, moral society.^[109] He wished to elevate the status of religion in public and private life, making piety fashionable in middle and upper classes of society.^[129] In April 1797 Wilberforce completed A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes of This Country Contrasted With Real Christianity on which he had been working on since 1793. This was an exposition of New Testament doctrine and teachings and a call for a revival of Christianity, as a response to the moral decline of the nation. It was an influential work and illustrated his own personal testimony and the views which inspired him in his life's work.^[130] This article is about the Christian scriptures. ...

Wilberforce believed in the importance of missionary activity, and was a founding member of the Church Missionary Society (since renamed the Church Mission Society).^[131] In 1793 Wilberforce used the renewal of the British East India Company's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the "religious improvement" of Indians. The plan was unsuccessful due to the lobbying by the directors of the company, who feared their commercial interests would be damaged.^[132] Wilberforce tried again in 1813 when the charter next came up for renewal. Using petitions and meetings, lobbying and letter writing, he successfully campaigned for changes to the charter.^[109][133] Speaking in favour of the Charter Act 1813, he condemned aspects of Hinduism including the caste system, infanticide, polygamy and suttee. "Our religion is sublime, pure beneficent," he said. "Theirs is mean, licentious and cruel". At the same time he criticised the British in India for their racial prejudice.^[133][134] The Church Mission Society, known as the Church Missionary Society in Australia and New Zealand, is an evangelistic society working with the Anglican Church and other Protestant Christians around the world. ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was the first joint-stock company (the Dutch East India Company was the first to issue public stock). ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was the first joint-stock company (the Dutch East India Company was the first to issue public stock). ... Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. ... Suttee is an ancient Indian funeral practice in which the widow was immolated alive on her husband’s funeral pyre. ...

Moral reform

Greatly concerned by what he perceived as the degeneracy of British society, Wilberforce was also active in matters of moral reform.^[133]

William Wilberforce engraving after George Richmond

He wrote in his personal journal, "God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners [moral values]".^[135][136] ]At the suggestion of Wilberforce, together with Bishop Porteus, King George III was requested by the Archbishop of Canterbury to issue his Proclamation for the Discouragement of Vice in 1787, which they saw as a remedy for the rising tide of immorality and vice.^[137][138] The proclamation led to the creation of the Society for Suppression of Vice in 1802.^[139] This and other societies of which Wilberforce was a prime mover, such as the Proclamation Society, mobilised support for the prosecution of those who had been charged with violating relevant laws. Those prosecuted included brothel keepers, distributors of pornographic material, and those who did not respect the Sabbath.^[109] The societies were not highly successful in terms of membership and support, but their activities did lead to the imprisonment of the publisher of Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason.^[140] George Richmond (1809 - 1896) was an English painter. ... Rt Rev Beilby Porteus, DD, Bishop of London (May 8, 1731 _ May 13, 1809) was a leading evangelical churchman and abolitionist. ... George III redirects here. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader and senior clergyman of the Church of England, recognized by convention as the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... The Society for the Suppression of Vice was founded by the sainted William Wilberforce, whose involvement in the abolition of the slave trade, 200 years ago, is widely celebrated, although other less laudable effects of his activities are ignored. ... For other persons of the same name, see Thomas Paine (disambiguation). ... For the 18th Century intellectual and scientific movement, see The Age of Enlightenment. ...

Wilberforce was also keenly involved in other societies, including anti-slavery societies, which had no punitive functions; these were more successful. He inspired others to take the lead in the reformation of British morals, social responsibility and resistance to secularisation. These societies were innovative in that they brought different social groups together for a common purpose, pioneering the substantial involvement of women in such activities as well as grassroots extra-parliamentary campaigning.^[109][141]

Political and social reform

Wilberforce was deeply conservative when it came to challenges to the existing political and social order. He promoted change in society through Christianity and improvement in morals, education and religion, and feared and opposed radical causes or revolution.^[142] To this end he supported suspension of habeas corpus in 1795 and in 1817, and when war and a poor harvest led to public demonstrations, voted for Pitt's "Gagging Bills", which banned meetings of more than 50 people, allowed speakers to be arrested and imposed harsh penalties on those who attacked the constitution.^[143][109] For other uses, see Habeas corpus (disambiguation). ...

Wilberforce was opposed to workers' rights to organise for better pay and conditions, and in 1799 he spoke in favour of the Combination Act, which suppressed trade union activity throughout the United Kingdom, calling unions "a general disease in our society."^[144][109] He opposed an inquiry into the Peterloo Massacre in which eleven protesters were killed at a political rally demanding reform.^[145] The Combination Act of 1799, titled An Act to prevent Unlawful Combinations of Workmen (short title 39 Geo. ... Print of the Peterloo Massacre published by Richard Carlile The Peterloo Massacre of August 16, 1819 was the result of a cavalry charge into the crowd at a public meeting at St Peters Fields, Manchester, England. ...

The radical writer William Cobbett was among those who attacked what they saw as Wilberforce's hypocrisy in campaigning for better working conditions for slaves while British workers lived in terrible conditions at home.^[146] "Never have you done one single act, in favour of the labourers of this country," he wrote.^[147] The essayist William Hazlitt also criticised Wilberforce, describing him as one "who preaches vital Christianity to untutored savages, and tolerates its worst abuses in civilised states."^[148] Wilberforce initially strongly opposed bills for Catholic emancipation which would have allowed Catholics to become MPs, hold public office and serve in the army,^[149] but by 1813 had changed his views, and spoke in favour of such a bill.^[150] William Cobbett, portrait in oils possibly by George Cooke around 1831. ... // William Hazlitt (10 April 1778 – 18 September 1830) was an English writer remembered for his humanistic essays and literary criticism, often esteemed the greatest English literary critic after Samuel Johnson. ... Catholic Emancipation was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the Penal Laws. ...

More progressively, from the late 1780s onward Wilberforce campaigned for parliamentary reforms, such as the abolition of rotten boroughs and the redistribution of Commons seats to growing towns and cities. By the time similar measures were passed in 1832, however, he feared that they went too far.^[151][109] Wilberforce advocated legislation to improve the working conditions for chimney-sweeps and textile workers, engaged in prison reform, supported campaigns to restrict capital punishment and the severe punishments meted out under the Game Laws.^[152] With others, Wilberforce founded the first animal welfare organisation in the world, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (later the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).^[153] He was opposed to duelling, which he described as the "disgrace of a Christian society" and was appalled when his friend Pitt engaged in a duel in 1798, particularly as it occurred on a Sunday, the Christian day of rest.^[154][155] Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system. ... Death penalty, death sentence, and execution redirect here. ... RSPCA official charity logo The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. ... For an account of the Steven Spielberg film, see Duel (movie). ...

Wilberforce was generous with his time and money, believing that those with wealth had a duty to give a significant portion of their income to the needy. Yearly, he gave away thousands of pounds, much of it to clergymen to distribute in their parishes. He paid off the debts of others, supported education and missions, and in a year of food shortages gave to charity more than his own yearly income. He was exceptionally hospitable, and could not bear to fire any of his servants. As a result his home was full of old and disabled servants kept on in charity. Though he was often months behind in his correspondence, Wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships, military promotions, and "livings" for clergymen, or for having death sentences reprieved.^[156][157] A parish is a subdivision of a diocese or bishopric within the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, and of some other churches. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      A...

Sierra Leone

As part of the campaign against slavery, abolitionists denied opposition claims that enslaved Africans were lesser human beings who benefited from their bondage.^[88] Wilberforce, the Clapham Sect and others were anxious to demonstrate that Africans, and particularly freed slaves, had human and economic abilities beyond the slave trade, and were capable of sustaining a well-ordered society, trade and cultivation. To this end, inspired in part by the utopian vision of Granville Sharp, they became involved in the establishment in 1792 of a free colony in Sierra Leone with black settlers from the United Kingdom, Nova Scotia and Jamaica, as well as native Africans and some whites.^[88][158] They formed the Sierra Leone Company, with Wilberforce subscribing liberally to the project in money and time.^[159] The dream was of an ideal society in which races would mix on equal terms; the reality was fraught with tension, crop failures, disease, death, war and defections to the slave trade. Initially a commercial venture, the British government assumed responsibility for the colony in 1808, but Wilberforce continued to be actively involved and recommended a protégé as the first colonial governor.^[88] Granville Sharp (10 November 1735 - 6 July 1813) was an British campaigner for the abolition of the slave trade. ... This article is about a type of political territory. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Regional Municipality Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 11 Senate seats 10 Confederation July 1, 1867... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ...

Last years

Wilberforce was buried in Westminster Abbey next to Pitt. This memorial statue was erected in 1840 in the north choir aisle.

In 1826, following his resignation, Wilberforce moved from his large house in Kensington Gore to a smaller house in the countryside of Mill Hill, north of London,^[119] where he was soon joined by his son William and family. William had tried a series of educational and career paths, and a venture into farming led to huge losses in 1830, which his father repaid in full despite offers from others to assist. This left Wilberforce with little income, and he was obliged to let his home and spend the rest of his life visiting families and friends.^[160] He also continued his support for the anti-slavery cause, including attending and chairing meetings of the Anti-Slavery Society.^[161] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (768x1024, 118 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): William Wilberforce ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (768x1024, 118 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): William Wilberforce ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... Mill Hill is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. ...

By 1833 his health again declined; he suffered a severe attack of influenza and never fully recovered.^[6] On 26 July 1833 he heard of government concessions that guaranteed the passing of the Bill for the Abolition of Slavery.^[162] On the following day he grew much weaker, and he died early on the morning of 29 July.^[163] Flu redirects here. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1833 (MDCCCXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Funeral

Wilberforce had left instructions that he was to be buried with his sister and daughter at Stoke Newington. However, the leading members of both Houses of Parliament urged that he be honoured with a burial at Westminster Abbey. The family agreed and on 3 August 1833 Wilberforce was buried in the north transept, close to his friend William Pitt.^[164] The funeral was attended by many Members of Parliament, as well as members of the public. The pall bearers included Henry Brougham, Lord Chancellor, and the Duke of Gloucester.^[165] , Note: For an area with a similar name, see Newington, in the London Borough of Southwark. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1833 (MDCCCXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... His Royal Highness Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (January 15, 1776 - November 30, 1834) was a member of the British Royal Family, a great grandson of King George II. Early Life Prince William was born on 15 January 1776 in Rome, Italy. ...

Legacy

The Wilberforce Monument, Queen's Gardens, Hull

Five years after his death, sons Robert and Samuel Wilberforce published a five-volume biography about their father in 1838, and a collection of his letters in 1840. The biography was controversial in that the authors emphasised Wilberforce's role in the abolition movement and played down the important role of Thomas Clarkson in the early days of the movement. Incensed, Clarkson came out of retirement to write a book in reply, and the sons eventually made a private apology to him.^[166][167] However, for a century Wilberforce's role in the campaign dominated the history books. Subsequent historians have noted the warm and highly productive relationship of Clarkson and Wilberforce, and have termed it one of history's great partnerships: without both the parliamentary leadership supplied by Wilberforce and the research and public mobilisation organised by Clarkson, abolition could not have been achieved.^{[168][169][48]} Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 499 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Wilberforce Monument Queens Gardens, Hull. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 499 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Wilberforce Monument Queens Gardens, Hull. ... Queens Gardens is a set of gardens in the centre of Kingston upon Hull, England. ...

Wilberforce has long been described as a Christian hero, held up as a role model for putting his faith into action.^{[170][171][6]} More broadly, he is regarded as an outstanding humanitarian reformer who contributed to the reshaping of the political and social attitudes of the nation; his focus on morality and the belief that human nature could be reformed by religion influenced social thought and legislation, particularly the treatment of criminals and the disadvantaged. His emphasis on charitable works and the role of voluntary societies also laid the groundwork for concepts of social responsibility and action in the Victorian era.^[109] He has been accused of lacking sympathy for the workers of the Industrial Revolution, although his avoidance of radicalism and his collaborative parliamentary style and willingness to support government measures increased ministerial support for abolition when the issue came to a vote.^[172][173] Wilberforce's independence, integrity, courage, incorruptibility, dedication to duty, willingness to consider other points of view and even change his mind have been an inspiration to those in British public life.^[6][174] Finally, his unwavering commitment to the abolition movement placed him at the heart of the world's first grassroots human rights campaign, in which men and women from different classes and backgrounds volunteered to work to end injustice for people living and suffering half a world away.^[175] There are a number of meanings for humanitarianism: humanitarianism, humanism, the doctrine that peoples duty is to promote human welfare. ... Social thought provides general theories to explain actions and behavior of society as a whole, encompassing sociological, political, and philosophical ideas. ... Social responsibility is an ethical or ideological theory that an entity whether it is a government, corporation, organization or individual has a responsibility to society. ... The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... A Watt steam engine, the steam engine that propelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the world. ... The term Radical (latin radix meaning root) has been used since the late 18th century as a label in political science for those favoring or trying to produce thoroughgoing or extreme political reforms which can include changes to the social order to a greater or lesser extent. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

Memorials

Wilberforce's life and work has been commemorated in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In Wilberforce's home town of Hull, a public subscription in 1834 funded the Wilberforce Monument, a 102 ft (31 m) Greek Doric column, topped by a statue of Wilberforce.^[176] In Westminster Abbey, a seated statue of Wilberforce by Samuel Joseph was erected in 1840, bearing an epitaph praising his Christian character and his long labour to abolish the slave trade and slavery itself.^[177] The uncompleted Doric temple at Segesta, Sicily, has been waiting for finishing of its surfaces since 430 - 420 BC The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. ...

Various churches within the Anglican Communion commemorate Wilberforce in their liturgical calendars,^[178] and Wilberforce University in Ohio, United States, is named after William Wilberforce. The university was the first owned by African-American people, and is historically a black college.^[179] Main article: Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is a world-wide affiliation of Anglican Churches. ... Wilberforce University is a private, coed, liberal arts historically African-American university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, that is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and participates in the United Negro College Fund. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... In the United States, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) (a type of Minority Serving Institution or MSI) are colleges or universities that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the African-American community. ...

Amazing Grace, a film about Wilberforce and the struggle against the slavery trade and directed by Michael Apted, with Ioan Gruffudd as William Wilberforce, was released in 2007 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the date on which Parliament voted to ban the transport of slaves by British subjects.^[180][181] Amazing Grace is a 2006 film directed by Michael Apted about the campaign against the slave trade in 18th century Britain, led by famous abolitionist William Wilberforce, who was responsible for steering anti-slave trade legislation through the British parliament. ... Michael Apted (born 10 February 1941;) is an English director, producer, writer and actor. ... Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced , yoe-an gri-fidh) (born October 6, 1973) is a British actor from Wales. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist...

Writings

• A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade, Addressed to the Freeholders of Yorkshire, 1807
• An Appeal to the Religion, Justice, and Humanity of the Inhabitants of the British Empire in behalf of the Negro slaves in the West Indies, 1823
• A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System, 1829

See also

• Abolitionists
• The Clapham Sect
• Isaac Milner
• Yorkshire election, 1807
• Slave Trade Act, 1807
• Slavery Abolition Act, 1833
• History of Slavery

This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... The Clapham Sect was an influential group of like-minded social reformers in England at the beginning of the nineteenth century (active c. ... Category: ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy one of the guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia on one of the following topics: If you are familiar with the subject matter, please expand the article to establish its notability, citing reliable sources. ... The Slave Trade Act (citation ) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in 1807 the long title of which is An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Main article: Atlantic slave trade The act abolished the slave trade in the British empire. ... The Slavery Abolition Act (citation ) was an 1833 Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire. ... The history of slavery covers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures throughout human history. ...

Notes

William Jefferson Hague (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician, the Member of Parliament for Richmond, North Yorkshire, former leader of the Conservative Party, and current Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary. ... A photo of Samuel Wilberforce by Lewis Carroll Samuel Wilberforce (September 7, 1805 - July 19, 1873), English bishop, third son of William Wilberforce, was born at Clapham Common, London. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Eric Metaxas is the author of Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God (But Were Afraid to Ask) and thirty childrens books. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... William Cobbett, portrait in oils possibly by George Cooke around 1831. ... // William Hazlitt (10 April 1778 – 18 September 1830) was an English writer remembered for his humanistic essays and literary criticism, often esteemed the greatest English literary critic after Samuel Johnson. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. Eric Williams Dr. Eric Eustace Williams (September 25, 1911 – March 29, 1981) was the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Brown, Christopher Leslie. Moral Capital: Foundations of British Abolitionism (University of North Carolina Press, 2006) ISBN 978-0807856987
• D'Anjou, Leo. Social Movements and Cultural Change: The First Abolition Campaign Revisited (New York : Aldine de Gruyter, 1996) ISBN 978-0202305226.
• Hague, William. William Wilberforce: The Life of the Great Anti-slave Trade Campaigner (London: HarperPress, 2007) ISBN 978-0007228850
• Hochschild, Adam. Bury the Chains, The British Struggle to Abolish Slavery (Basingstoke: Pan Macmillan, 2005) ISBN 978-0330485814
• Pollock, John. Wilberforce (London: Constable, 1977) ISBN 978-0094607804
• Tomkins, Stephen. William Wilberforce – A Biography (Oxford: Lion Hudson, 2007) ISBN 978-0745952321

William Jefferson Hague (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician, the Member of Parliament for Richmond, North Yorkshire, former leader of the Conservative Party, and current Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary. ... Adam Hochschild (born 1942) is an American writer. ...

Further reading

• Belmonte, Kevin. Hero for Humanity: A Biography of William Wilberforce (Navpress Publishing Group, 2002) ISBN 978-1576833544
• Carey, Brycchan. British Abolitionism and the Rhetoric of Sensibility: Writing, Sentiment, and Slavery, 1760-1807 (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005) ISBN 978-1403946263
• Furneaux, Robin. William Wilberforce (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1974, reprinted 2006) ISBN 978-1573833431
• Hennell, Michael. William Wilberforce, 1759–1833, the Liberator of the Slave (London: Church Book Room, 1950)
• Metaxas, Eric. Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2007) ISBN 0-06-117300-2
• Pura, Murray Andrew. Vital Christianity: The Life and Spirituality of William Wilberforce (Toronto: Clements, 2002) ISBN 1894667107
• Rodriguez, Junius P., ed. Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World. (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2007)
• Stott, Anne. Hannah More: The First Victorian. (Oxford: University Press, 2003) ISBN 0-19-924532-0
• Vaughan, David J. Statesman and Saint: The Principled Politics of William Wilberforce (Nashville, Tennessee: Cumberland House, 2001) ISBN 1-58182-224-3
• Walvin, James. A Short History of Slavery (London: Penguin, 2007) ISBN 978-0141027982
• Wilberforce, R.I. and Wilberforce S. The Life of William Wilberforce (5 vols, London: John Murray, 1838)

External links

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• 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the British and U.S. Slave Trade
• BBC historic figures: William Wilberforce