A Spiritual Awakening
William Wilberforce was a rising star in British politics when he had a spiritual awakening in 1785. He considered leaving politics for ministry, but his friend John Newton (the former slave trader who wrote "Amazing Grace") told him: "God has raised you up for the good of His church and the good of the nation."
Wilberforce found his cause: abolishing the slave trade.
Twenty Years of Failure
For 20 years, he introduced abolition bills in Parliament. For 20 years, they failed. Powerful interests profited from slavery. Politicians mocked him. He was threatened with violence.
Wilberforce's health collapsed repeatedly. He was addicted to opium (then a common medicine). His eyesight deteriorated. Friends urged him to quit.
He refused.
Victory at Last
In 1807, Parliament finally passed the Slave Trade Act, banning the trade throughout the British Empire. The vote was 283 to 16. Wilberforce wept.
He spent his remaining years fighting for complete emancipation. Three days before his death in 1833, Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act, freeing 800,000 slaves.
Mission Accomplished
"God Almighty has set before me two great objects," Wilberforce wrote, "the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners."
He accomplished both.
