William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce

Rachael Carmine

During the Enlightenment period, William Wilberforce was a great political figure who, by the end of his life, was able to pass a bill in England to stop the slave trade. William was born in Hull, England in 1759 to Robert Wilberforce and Elizabeth Bird, who were merchants. When William was still young, his father passed away and his mother sent him to live with his aunt. While living with his Aunt; William was introduced to the Methodist faith where he met John Newton. This man would become an important figure later on in Wilberforce’s life..

 John Newton work on several slave ships, two of which were called the HMS Harwich and the Pegasus. Newton tried to escape the life of working on slave trading ships. He saw that how Africans were treated and knew that it was inhumane. Because of this he was treated almost as bad as a slave until his father sent someone to rescue him. Once Newton returned to England, he became a Christian and a minister. Other than being acquainted with William Wilberforce, Newton is famous for being the writer of the well known hymn, well known hymn, Amazing Grace.  John Newton had been in the ministry by the time he first met William Wilberforce.

Because Christianity was not popular at that time, William’s mother feared the faith would hurt William’s reputation later on in life, so she brought him back home. At the young age of 17, Wilberforce attended St. John’s College where he studied politics and became good friends with William Pitt, the younger. While attending college, Wilberforce gained a large inheritance after the passing of his grandfather and his uncle.

In his early twenty’s, Wilberforce ran as a candidate for the parliamentary elections and spent over 800 Pounds (which is equal to 9,000 Euros or over $11,000 today) during his campaign. His friend William Pitt the younger also went into politics and with Wilberforce’s support, Pit became the youngest Prime Minister at the time. Wilberforce became the Parliamentary statesman for Clapham, England; so it was here that he moved to and lived. While on vacation from Parliament, Wilberforce stayed with a friend and found a book called Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul, it was this book and his friend that convinced Wilberforce to study the Bible and convert to Christianity. After studying the Bible extensively, he struggled with his career. He knew that religion was not popular and it looked bad on his political image. Because of this conflict, Wilberforce sought advice from Pitt. Pitt told him that his new found religion would make him ineffective at Parliament, but Pit supported him nonetheless. In the winter of 1775, Wilberforce went to find the minister he had met as a child, John Newton. John told him to continue his career but abandon his faith. The reasoning behind this was because Newton knew that being a Christian and a politician would not only damage his career but also damage his wellbeing. Wilberforce did not abandon his faith or his seat in Parliament. Because the conflict Wilberforce was facing between his faith and career was so strong, it made him physically ill.  It was recorded that the illness was like that of a severe mental break down. (Bragg, Melvyn) It wasn’t until Easter of the following year that Wilberforce went outside to the fields to pray. It was then that he began to feel some peace. (Piper, John)

In 1784, after his conversion, Wilberforce joined a group of friends, referred to as the Clapham Sect. These people were members of the Anglican Church in Clapham. These friends included John Shore, Charles Grant, William Pitt, and Zachary Macauley, were just a few of the members. This circle of friends met regularly at what they called “cabinet councils.” At these meetings, they would discuss religion, politics, and the rights and wrongs of England. It was during such meetings that Wilberforce, who knew nothing of the horrors of slave trade, became interested in it and what was happening with the “cargo.” The more he found out about what was happening with the slave trade, the more he knew he had to stop it. (Shelley, Bruce)

The first bill for the abolition of slavery was presented in 1789. It was during this four hour speech, that he himself admitted that he was ignorant to the true goings on of the slave trade. He then proceeded to present his information through his own personal findings and through eye witnesses. Some people deliberately lied by saying that Africans had freedoms while aboard the ship and were accommodated with whatever they desired. Others who worked on the slave ships told the truth. They attested that, when the slaves leave port in Africa, they are chained and made to lie down in a space that about four feet in length with no room on either side.  For three weeks, the slaves are starved, given very little to no water; they would lay in their own blood and waste. Because of this, diseases spread rapidly. It was very common that a living slave would be chained to a deceased one. Once the ship reached the plantations in the United States, in Jamaica, or in England, or wherever, Most of the time less than half of the slaves lived that journey. Those who were ill were made to look healthy so they would sell. They were tortured to death. They were branded once bought so they knew that they “did not belong to God any more but to a man.” (Apted, 2006) Wilberforce concluded his speech by saying, “As soon as ever I had arrived thus far in my investigation of the slave trade, I confess to you sir, so enormous so dreadful, so irremediable did its wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for the abolition. A trade founded in iniquity, and carried on as this was, must be abolished, let the policy be what it might,—let the consequences be what they would, I from this time determined that I would never rest till I had effected its abolition.” (Macmillian, P.)

Because of this, Wilberforce earned the name “nightingale of the house of commons.” (Shelley, Bruce L.)  Sadly, even after his eloquent speech, the bill was denied. Every year since that first bill, Wilberforce would gather evidence and have petitions signed and present another bill to the house. (Bragg, Melvyn)  They were still denied.  Wilberforce received an encouraging letter from Charles Wesley in 1791. Before Wesley died, he told Wilberforce to not give up on his movement toward equality. (Iggulden, Conn and Iggulden David)

In 1797, a change of pace came about when Wilberforce met his very soon-to-be wife, Barbara Spooner.  It was almost like a fairy tale, it was love at first sight and within days of knowing each other they were married and stayed married until death.  They had six children. Also in 1797 Wilberforce wrote, A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes of this Country Contrasted with Real Christianity. (Soylent Communications, 2012)

When Wilberforce reached his 60’s in 1883, another bill for the abolition of slavery was presented. Wilberforce’s health had been steadily declining over the years and he had resigned his seat at parliament. Wilberforce died on July 29 1833, but not before he found out that the bill to stop the slave trade in England had, after over 20 years, passed. (Iggulden, Conn and Iggulden, David)

References

Apted, M. (Director). (2007). Amazing Grace [Motion Picture].

Bancroft, G. (Director). (2007). In Search of Wilberforce [Motion Picture].

Bragg, M. (2011). The Book of Books. Berkeley: Group West.

Iggulden, C., & David, I. (2010). The Dangerous Book of Heroes. New York: HarperCollins .

Macmillian, P. (2007). William Wilberforce's 1789 Abolition Speech. http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/wilberforce2.htm

Piper, J. (2002, Feburary 5). Desiring God. Retrieved March 17, 2012, from Peculiar Doctrines, Public Morals, and the Political Welfare: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/biographies/peculiar-doctrines-public-morals-and-the-political-welfare

Shelley, B. L. (2008). Church History in Plain Language. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Simkin, J. (2003). Sparticus Educational. Retrieved Feburary 2012, from Sparticus Educational: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REwilberforce.htm