Wilberforce’s involvement in abolition rose from a desire to put his Christian principles into action and to serve God in public life. It was said, that though in appearance he looked like a hunchback, when he mounted the platform, his eloquence transformed him into a giant.

Why did William Wilberforce abolish slavery?

Wilberforce’s involvement in the abolition movement was motivated by a desire to put his Christian principles into action and to serve God in public life. He and other evangelicals were horrified by what they perceived was a depraved and un-Christian trade, and the greed and avarice of the owners and traders.

What impact did William Wilberforce have?

William Wilberforce’s greatest political achievement was his long fight to end Britain’s involvement in the Transatlantic slave trade. Wilberforce achieved the suppression of the slave trade, with the passing of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Bill, in 1807.

What did William Wilberforce do to change the world?

Who was John Wilberforce and what did he do?

Wilberforce was an influential member of the Clapham Sect which contained powerful Evangelical Christians who worked towards abolition of the slave trade, liberation of slaves and reform of the penal system. The group’s name originates from those attending Holy Trinity Church on Clapham Common, an area south-west of London.

What books did Milner and Wilberforce read?

Milner accompanied Wilberforce to England, and on the journey they read The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul by Philip Doddridge, a leading early 18th-century English nonconformist. William Wilberforce by John Rising, 1790, pictured at the age of 30

Where is the statue of John Wilberforce?

In Wilberforce’s home town of Hull, a public subscription in 1834 funded the Wilberforce Monument, a 31-metre (102 ft) Greek Doric column topped by a statue of Wilberforce, which now stands in the grounds of Hull College near Queen’s Gardens.

What did Wilberforce do to end the slave trade?

Interrupted by a general election in June 1790, 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.