William Wilberforce: The Rise And Progress Of Religion In The Soul

William Wilberforce was born on August 24, in 1759. He grew up in Hull, East York Shire. Robert and Elizabeth Wilberforce were his parents, and he had three sisters who were named Elizabeth, Ann, and Sarah (also known as Sally). William was a small child who had poor eyesight and was said to have an amazing singing voice. He enjoyed to tell funny stories and to play practical jokes. People said he was charming, witty, a great public speaker, and very well liked. His parents were successful and wealthy merchants who traded in imported goods such as cloth and wood, which were from the Baltic States and from Northern Europe. Robert Wilberforce died when William was eight, and soon after that his mother became sick, so she sent him to London to
William Pitt backed him up with becoming the leader of the Society for the abolition of slavery and stayed friends with him forever. Isaac Miller, a young teacher at Hull Grammar School, was one of his mentors. He was the one who told him to read an essay called “Rise And Progress Of Religion In The Soul”. Reading this essay was a big part of William becoming a devoted Christian and a changed man. William talked to John Newton about his questions about himself and about Christianity. He became very close to Hannah and Robert Wilberforce when he lived with them. Lastly, God was the most important influence on William; he was always a very religious
After university, when he turned 21, he became MP for Yorkshire, and began to work for the abolition of the British slave trade. William wanted to be an independent, but would sometimes lean towards the reform element of the Tory party. He stayed for 4 years in Parliament, and then traveled with his sister and mother to Europe. This is where he read the essay that made him a changed man. When he came home this is where he spoke with John Newton who encouraged him even more than Europe did, to lead a religious life. In 1786, William was invited to be a big part of the abolitionist movement. He accepted. He tried to pass a slavery abolition bill in 1789 and again one year later. After there was a war with France, he try to pass the bill again, but instead of a slavery abolition Bill, he tried to pass a bill that would only undermine the slave business. After so many failures to stop slavery, the slave trade act was passed in 1807. This Act did not completely end slavery, but put a big dent in it. Throughout his life he kept trying to get the slavery abolition bill passed, and finally, when he was on his deathbed, he was told it was passed on July 26, 1833. William Wilberforce then died on July 29, 1833.

William Wilberforce did not only campaign for slavery abolition. He also campaigned for education, ending child labor, prison reforms, and for legislation to improve the lives of the poor. He also