William Wilberforce
| William Wilberforce | |
|---|---|
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| Member of Parliament | |
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In office 31 October 1780 – February 1825 |
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| Preceded by | David Hartley |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Gough-Calthorpe |
| Constituency |
Kingston upon Hull (1780–1784) Yorkshire (1784–1812) Bramber (1812–1825) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 August 1759 Kingston upon Hull, Great Britain |
| Died | 29 July 1833 (aged 73) London, United Kingdom |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Barbara Spooner |
| Children | William, Barbara, Elizabeth, Robert, Samuel and Henry |
| Religion | Evangelical Anglican |
William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was an English politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to eradicate the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming an independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Yorkshire (1784–1812). In 1785, he became an Evangelical Christian, which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform.
In 1787, he came into contact with Thomas Clarkson and a group of anti-slave-trade activists, including Granville Sharp, Hannah More and Charles Middleton. They persuaded Wilberforce to take on the cause of abolition, and he soon became one of the leading English abolitionists. He headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for twenty years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807.
Wilberforce was convinced of the importance of religion, morality and education. He championed causes and campaigns such as the Society for the Suppression of Vice, British missionary work in India, the creation of a free colony in Sierra Leone, 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 controversial legislation, and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad.
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