William
Wilberforce was born on August 24th in Yorkshire England into a
family of wealthy merchants. He was
influenced by relatives as a young child to become an Evangelical which his
mother disapproved of being a member of the church of England. This influence lasted for the rest of his
life. At the age of 21 he ran for a seat
in Parliament and won. Uncompromising in
his convictions he was an independent who sometimes had conflicts with both the
Whigs and Tory’s. He was committed to
voting his conscience on all issues. Sometime
in 1795 Wilberforce converted to Evangelism and went from a worldlier lifestyle
to one of total commitment to God. For
this he considered moral behavior as an expression of his Christian dedication. In 1787 he became involved with a group of
anti-slave trade activists. He became
convinced that God had called him to lead in the effort to abolish slavery. From then on until his death in 1833 he was a
major leader in the movement to abolish the slave trade and used his seat in
Parliament to further this and other causes he associated with his relationship
with God. He actively fought for a
greater sense of morality and for the rights of animals believing they were
also Gods creatures. His efforts of many
years led to the passage of the Slavery
Abolition Act of 1833 just three days before his death. His story is particularly inspiring because
his love for God led him to dedicate himself for nearly half a century to fight
for a cause he eventually won. His
efforts also influenced the rise of abolitionist sentiment in the United States
and other nations.
