2. William Wilberforce was born rich and devoted his life to abolishing the slave trade and to philanthropy
The English politician William Wilberforce is best remembered as one of the leading voices in the campaign to end Britain’s involvement in the international slave trade. And rightly so. Throughout the late-18th and early-19th centuries, he campaigned tirelessly for the abolition of slavery, with his efforts in Parliament leading to the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. In part, his work was inspired by his deep Christian faith. And it was this faith that led him to become one of Britain’s great philanthropists too.
Wilberforce was born in the city of Hull in 1759. His parents were wealthy, so their son didn’t have to worry about getting a job. Instead, he idled through Cambridge University and then dedicated his time to politics. He began as the Member of Parliament for his home city of Hull and then, in 1784, was promoted to a more influential seat, representing the county of Yorkshire. Three years later, he met the anti-slavery activist Thomas Clarkson. At last, he had found a cause to be passionate about, and he took the campaign into the heart of British politics.
At the same time, Wilberforce also became a born-again Christian. From the 1780s onwards, he started giving away large portions of his wealth. He funded missionary work in India and Africa, established the Church Mission Society and also the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, both charities that are still going strong. He even helped finance the establishment of a free colony in Sierra Leone for freed slaves to live in.
Wilberforce died in July 1833, just three days after Parliament passed the anti-slavery bill. In recognition of his life’s work, not least his generosity, he was buried in Westminster Abbey. To this day, he is fondly remembered in Britain and around the world as a pioneering social reformer and great philanthropist.