William Wilberforce was a British politician in the late 18th and early 19th centuries who led the campaign to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire. Despite facing opposition and setbacks for over 20 years, Wilberforce achieved his goal in 1807 with the passage of legislation banning the slave trade. He continued campaigning for the total abolition of slavery, which was achieved shortly before his death in 1833. Throughout his life, Wilberforce also advocated for numerous other social reforms and causes promoting human rights and justice.

1. William Wilberforce
Our Christian who has made a difference this week is a man
who was only just 5 foot tall, frail, weighed only 100 pounds
in his last years, and was plagued with sickness and pain
throughout his life.
He often spent weeks in bed. His eyes gave him a lot of
trouble. Yet he was the architect of "one of the turning
events in the history of the world.” His name is William
Wilberforce.

2. William Wilberforce was born in 1759 in Hull, on the coast of East
Yorkshire, England. His father was a wealthy merchant. William
was not an industrious student, preferring cards and drinking to
study, but he obtained a bachelor degree from Cambridge
University.
He met William Pitt, a future prime minister of Britain, at university
and a lifetime friendship developed. He and Pitt went into politics
and Wilberforce became an MP for Hull at age 21, and later
member for Yorkshire in 1784 at the age of 25.
His dissolute lifestyle changed in 1785 at the age of 26 when he
became more devout in his Christianity. To apply the Christian
principle of caring for others he then devoted his life and
parliamentary career to two causes.
The first cause was the abolition of the British slave trade and the
second was the moral and social reform of Britain. He was a
popular figure and was known to be charming and witty and a
great public speaker.

3. By the time Wilberforce entered parliament the economics of
slavery in Britain were so entrenched that only a handful of
people thought anything could be done about it. That did not
stop Wilberforce.
He and his friend Clarkson introduced many private members bills
only to have them stopped by vested interests, parliamentary
filibustering, and entrenched bigotry. International politics, slave
unrest, personal sickness, and political fear also slowed their
progress.
Pro-slavery forces targeted him. He was vilified. The opposition
became so fierce, that one friend feared that one day he would
read about Wilberforce's being broiled “by Indian planters,
barbecued by African merchants, and eaten by Guinea
captains."

4. However, after many years of defeats in parliament, Wilberforce
finally achieved his goal of abolishing the slave trade by
legislation on 25th March, 1807. Slavery itself was not stopped
at this time, but the trading of slaves was stopped.
British captains who were caught continuing the trade were fined
£100 for every slave found on board. For a while, if slave-ships
were in danger of being captured by the British navy, captains
often reduced the fines they had to pay by ordering the slaves to
be thrown into the sea.
Wilberforce married Barbara Spooner in 1797 at age 38, and they
had 6 children. Wilberforce was a loving and devoted husband
and father and was proud that three of his sons became
Christian clergyman. He retired from politics in 1825 at age 66
due to ill health, but continued to campaign for the complete
abolition of slavery and the freedom of slaves.

5. Finally, on 26th July, 1833, as Wilberforce lay on his deathbed at
age 74, he was told that the Slavery Abolition Bill, granting
freedom to all slaves within the British Empire, had been passed
by Parliament. Wilberforce died three days later. It was agreed
that as a mark of respect of his achievements, his body should
be buried in Westminster Abbey, London.
Although abolition of slavery was his momentous life-time
achievement, it was not the totality of his achievements. He
fought for legislation to improve the lives of the poor. He was
passionate about education, prison reforms and ending child
labour. He was one of the founders of the Royal Society of the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
At one time he was active in support of 69 philanthropic causes.
He gave away one-quarter of his annual income to the poor. He
fought on behalf of chimney sweeps, single mothers, orphans,
juvenile delinquents and established Sunday schools to teach
the poor reading and writing.

6. He was a key architect in ensuring that the first fleet to colonise
Australia have a Christian chaplain and a Christian vision of
converting Australia to Christianity and using Australia to spread
Christianity to all the newly discovered south Pacific islands.
He helped found groups like the “Society for Bettering the Cause
of the Poor”, the Church Missionary Society, the British and
Foreign Bible Society, and the Antislavery Society.
We salute William Wilberforce, a remarkable small man with a
huge list of achievements who made the world a better place.
He was a Christian who made a difference.