Best william wilberforce biography

English politician and abolitionist (–)

For his eldest son, a lawyer and Member of Parliament, see William Wilberforce (–).

William Wilberforce (24 August – 29 July ) was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade.

Best william wilberforce biography

A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in , and became an independentMember of Parliament (MP) for Yorkshire (–). In , he underwent a conversion experience and became an Evangelical Anglican, which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform.

In , Wilberforce came into contact with Thomas Clarkson and a group of activists against the slave trade, including Granville Sharp, Hannah More and Charles Middleton. They persuaded Wilberforce to take on the cause of abolition, and he became a leading English abolitionist.

He headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for 20 years until the passage of the Slave Tra