Response
Wilberforce stays with cousin Henry to get better from sickness. Wilberforce is a Member of Parliament. His cousin Henry and Hannah, his wife, try to set him up with a girl. Wilberforce is fighting against the slave trade, trying to abolish it. Wilberforce says God has found him. He has a political career and would rather spend time with nature. William Pitt is going to try and be Prime Minister and ultimately does. Pitt asks Wilberforce to join him. A group of activists visit Wilberforce to convince him that he can do God’s work and be a political activist. Wilberforce visits John Newton for advice. Newton is his old preacher and old slave trader. Wilberforce is sick and can’t get away from his nightmares. He and Barbra Spooner hit it off. She encourages him to continue with advocating the abolition. The movie shows where petitions were brought in to Parliament. Revolution was then confused with the slave trade issues. And on top of it the war with France was involved. Barbra reminds Wilberforce that the French War was over now and won. The people of England will have regained their compassion. Wilberforce and Barbra are married. Wilberforce goes to visit John Newton again. John Newton is now blind and is giving his account of the slave ships and their tortures. John said that the slave traders were apes and the slaves were the humans.
Wilberforce called a meeting of all his old common activists to re-try the abolition. Slaves in Jamaica are hearing of a hope from Wilberforce.
Because of the war, cargo ships flying under American flag are neutral and cannot be searched by privateers (who are only out for gain). So they want to make raising flag of Americans illegal. This will allow them to be searched and the slave trade hinderer through their reveal.
One thing that really hit me in this movie in relation to our Government class is the petition that was ignored by Parliament. There were over 800,000