William Wilberforce was born in Kingston upon Hull Yorkshire in 1759 into a wealthy merchant family. He attended Hull grammar school and was described as a small sickly and delicate child and was later sent to London after the death of his father in 1768 to reside with a prosperous aunt and uncle. On returning to Hull his Methodist sensibilities gave way to a more hedonistic lifestyle rather enjoying gambling, card playing and late night drinking sessions, which continued when he went up to St Johns college Cambridge. Despite this and a lack of interest in studying he was awarded a B.A and M.A. He was known to be popular and witty and became a personal friend of future Prime Minister William Pitt. He became interested in evangelical Christianity because of the influence of his aunts and later was voted in as an independent M.P. for North Yorkshire.
He was a well known Philanthropist and was most famous as leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. He headed the campaign for twenty six years until the passing of the Slave trade act in 1807 and continued to campaign for complete abolition up until he resigned from parliament due to failing health in 1826. The Slavery Abolition act of 1833 abolished slavery in the British Empire and William Wilberforce died just three days after hearing the passage of the bill through parliament.
In 1785 he underwent a conversion experience and became a Christian having embarked on a tour of Europe the previous year during which he read "The rise and progress of religion in the soul" by Phillip Doddridge a leading English Non-conformist. He started to rise early to read the bible and pray and he kept a private journal. He deeply regretted his former behaviour and vowed to commit his future life to the service of God. His conversion resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and led to a lifelong concern for reform in the moral sphere as well as in areas of social justice. It was two years later in 1787 that he met a group of anti-slave activists including Thomas Clarkson, Granville Sharpe, Hannah Moore and Charles Middleton. He became convinced of the importance of religion morality and education. He championed many causes and campaigns including "The society for the suppression of vice" "Missionary work in India" "Creation of a free colony in Sierra Leon" "The Church mission society" and "The society for the prevention of cruelty to animals" He was respectful and tactful in urging others toward his new faith yet he himself underwent an agonising inner struggle and was prone to be very self-critical.
At this time it was generally felt that religious enthusiasm was a social transgression and very much stigmatized in polite society. Evangelicals in the upper classes were exposed to contempt and ridicule but despite this Wilberforce was determined to remain in public life and became very conscientious in applying Christian ethics and principles to his political career. He was horrified by the accounts he heard of conditions and treatment of slaves in the West Indies and the depraved lifestyles and greed of the slave owners. His friend Thomas Clarkson provided first hand evidence of this inhumane trade which helped Wilberforce to push forward the campaign. Public awareness was being raised and petitions that attracted hundreds of thousands of signatories were organised. Pushing first for a parliamentary select committee on the subject before the first bill was presented and defeated, before eventually andf after further failures being carried in 1807.
The campaign against slavery had been the first mass popular human rights protest movement. William was also against duelling and was keen for society to restore manners and moral values. He was against social disorder particularly by trade unions. He wrote a book on Christian values entitled "Real Christianity" including his own personal testimony and the views which inspired him. He was generous with his money believing that those with wealth had a duty to give a significant amount of their income to the needy. Yearly he gave away thousands of pounds to clergymen to distribute to the poor in their parishes. He paid off others debts, supported education and missions and one year during a food shortage he gave more than his whole years income for relief. He frequently helped people to find employment and was very kind to his staff often keeping them on well past the time of their ability to do the job.
Politically he advocated legislation to improve working conditions for chimney sweeps and textile workers and wanted to restrict capital punishment. He supported the establishment of Sunday schools for the poor. He was known for his exceptional hospitality but was very traditional about the role of women. He attempted to use the law to suppress swearing, drunkenness, and vice but was not very popular for it as it was seen as moralizing. His strength and tenacity to achieve justice despite the sustained opposition of powerful vested interests was inspired by his faith in the redemptive power of Jesus. SOME THOUGHTS William Wilberforce was dedicated to freedom for the African slaves which was very much motivated by his Christian faith including Ideas such as love, justice and equality for all people. His advocacy for better manners and improved morals in society whilst unpopular were also inspired by the bible because he knew that those inconsiderate things set people against one another and harmed our human spirit. Those kind of moral campaigns remain unpopular today because naturally many do not wish to be told what to do because choice and autonomy remain important. When we develop a prayer life and take to our hearts the teachings of Jesus, we too can be inspired to speak out and fight injustice, much like Wilberforce we too can be transformed from a self-centred lifestyle which harms our spirit to one dedicated to love and serve others in which our spirit is raised. The anguish and self-criticism he endured were unnecessary because God wants to relieve our burdens when we confess our sins in prayer. God also wants us to work for his kingdom here on earth with the help of his Holy Spirit, which gives us an added passion and energy as well as a great sense of purpose to do his will