History Series: William Wilberforce
History of William Wilberforce
Champion of British Slavery Abolition
One hundred ninety-one years ago today, on July 26, 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act passed its third reading in the House of Commons, ensuring the end of slavery in the British Empire. William Wilberforce authored it.
August 24 marks the birthday of British statesman and England’s greatest abolitionist, William Wilberforce. He was well known to the Founding Fathers of the American Revolution and became not just a politician, philanthropist, and abolitionist but also a writer of such popularity (in his day) as C.S. Lewis was in the 20th century.
As I mentioned in my first article on the History of Amazing Grace, Wilberforce’s mentor was the song’s author, John Newton. The popular film “Amazing Grace” briefly tells the life of Wilberforce.
William Wilberforce was born in 1759 to privilege and wealth in 18th century England and, though physically challenged, worked for nearly 20 years to push through Parliament bills for both the abolition of the slave trade and the emancipation of enslaved people in the British Empire almost 200 years ago.
