Publisher's Synopsis
William Wilberforce - British Politician and Philanthropist is the biography of William Wilberforce, who is well-known for having been an important British politician and philanthropist. A native of Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780 and became Member of Parliament for Yorkshire serving from 1784 to 1812, and independent supporter of the Tory party. A close friend of Prime Minister William Pitt, in 1785 he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical Christian. In 1787 he came into contact with Thomas Clarkson and a group of anti-slave trade activists, including Granville Sharp, Beilby Porteus, Hannah More, and Lord Middleton. At their suggestion, Wilberforce was persuaded to take on the cause. He became one of the leading English abolitionists, heading the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade, which he saw through to the eventual passage of the Slave Trade Act in 1807. Wilberforce also championed many other causes and campaigns, including the Society for Suppression of Vice, Charity schools, the introduction of Christianity to India, the foundation of the Church Mission Society, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In later years, he supported the campaign for complete abolition, which eventually led to the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. This Act paved the way for the complete abolition of slavery in the British Empire. A tireless campaigner for the abolition of slavery, Wilberforce died just three days after hearing of the passage of the Act through Parliament. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, close to his friend William Pitt. William Wilberforce - British Politician and Philanthropist is highly recommended for those interested in learning more about this respected British politician.
