William Wilberforce

August 24, 1759 – July 29, 1833

Politician & Reformer

Fought for decades to abolish the slave trade in the name of Christ

Biography

British politician and philanthropist who led the movement to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire. Member of Parliament for 45 years.

Faith & Testimony

After his evangelical conversion in 1785, Wilberforce devoted his life to two 'great objects': the abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of manners (moral reform). His Christian faith was the driving force behind his tireless campaign against slavery.

Sources

William Wilberforce — Wikipedia — Biography of the abolitionist driven by faith
Amazing Grace (2006 Film) — Biographical film about Wilberforce's fight to end slavery
Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery — By Eric Metaxas. Biography of Wilberforce's faith-driven abolitionism
A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians by William Wilberforce (1797) — Wilberforce's influential book on authentic Christianity vs. nominal faith — a bestseller that shaped evangelical thought and fueled the abolition movement
Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas — Biography detailing how Wilberforce's evangelical conversion drove his 46-year campaign to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire