BLACK HISTORY: Ok, WILLIAM WILBERFORCE. He was born on August 24,1759. WILBERFORCE was a DEEPLY RELIGIOUS English member of parliament, and social reformer who was influential in the ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE and eventually slavery itself in the British Empire. His lifestyle changed completely when he became an EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN. His Christian faith prompted him to become interested in social reform, particularly the improvement of factory conditions in Britain. WILBERFORCE along with THOMAS CLARKSON were campaigning for an end to the trade on which British ships were carrying BLACK SLAVES FROM AFRICA in terrible conditions, to the West Indies as goods to be bought and sold. WILBERFORCE was persuaded to lobby for the abolition of the slave trade and FOR 18 YEARS he regularly introduced anti-slavery motions in parliament. In the late 1700s, when WILBERFORCE was a teenager, English traders RAIDED THE AFRICAN COAST ON THE GULF OF GUINEA, captured between 35,000 and 50,000 Africans a year, shipped them across the Atlantic, and sold them into slavery. It was a profitable business that many powerful people had become dependent upon. One publicist for the West Indies trade wrote, The impossibility of doing without slaves in the West Indies will always prevent this traffic being dropped. By the late 1700, the economics of slavery were so entrenched that only a handful of people thought anything could be done about it. That handful included WILLIAM WILBERFORCE. After his conversion to Christianity, he began to see his lifes purpose. In particular, two causes caught his attention. First, under the influence of THOMAS CLARKSON, HE BECAME ABSORBED WITH THE ISSUE OF SLAVERY. He wrote, So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the trades wickedness appear that MY OWN MIND WAS COMPLETELY MADE UP FOR ABOLITION. Let the consequences be what they would: I from this time determined that I WOULD NEVER REST UNTIL I HAD EFFECTED ITS ABOLITION. When it became clear that WILBERFORCE was not going to let the issue die, PRO-SLAVERY FORCES TARGETED HIM. He was villified; opponents spoke of the damnable doctrine of WILBERFORCE and his hypocritical allies. The opposition became so fierce, one friend feared that one day he would read about WILBERFORCES being boiled by Indian planters, barbecued by African merchants, and eaten by Guinea captains. WILBERFORCE was challenged to duels, had his life threatened, and his character attacked. WILBERFORCE made several attempts to convince the parliament to pass laws against slavery. He gave very emotional speeches begging others to CONSIDER MORALITY ABOVE ECONOMICS. He was voted down each and every time, but HE REFUSED TO GIVE UP. Finally, in 1807, the British government passed a law that MADE THE TRADING OF SLAVES HEREBY UTTERLY ABOLISHED. When the vote was announced, WILBERFORCE collapsed, emotionally spent, WEEPING IN HIS CHAIR.It was said, that on that day HE RECEIVED THE GREATEST OVATION EVER HEARD IN PARLIAMENT. It did not free those who were already slaves. It was not until 1833 that an act was passed giving freedom to all slaves in the British empire. He worked to ensure the slave trade was enforced. WILBERFORCE retired from politics in 1825, and died on July 29, 1833, shortly after the act to free slaves in the British empire passed through the House of Commons. Wow. Thank you WILLIAM WILBERFORCE! SELAH.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 00:03:38 +0000
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