Amazing Thinkers & Humanitarians by Katerina Mestheneou

Author:Katerina Mestheneou [Mestheneou, Katerina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780007556953
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2014-01-21T00:00:00+00:00

The Life of William Wilberforce

1759 William Wilberforce was born in Hull, Yorkshire, England.

1767 He began his schooling at Hull Grammar School.

1768 At the age of nine, William’s father died. He was sent to live with his aunt and uncle at their homes in London and Wimbledon. William was sent to a boarding school in Putney and spent his holidays with relatives.

1771 William’s mother and grandfather were concerned about his religious instruction, and therefore brought him back to Hull.

1776 He attended St John’s College, in Cambridge. His grandfather died, followed by his uncle. Their deaths left William with his own money to spend as he pleased.

1780 While still a student, on September 11th, William was elected as a Member of Parliament for Kingston-upon-Hull.

1783 His friend, William Pitt, was elected Prime Minister.

1784 William was elected as a Member of Parliament for the county of Yorkshire in the general election. In October, he toured Europe with his mother, sister and Isaac Milner, the brother of his former headmaster.

1785 He returned to England to support Pitt’s Parliamentary changes before continuing his travels to Italy and Switzerland. William read The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul which had a serious effect on him. He began to pray and read the Bible.

1786 William rented a house near Parliament, in Westminster. He used his position to promote changes in the law.

1787 Thomas Clarkson began calling on William and asked him to bring forward the case to the House of Commons for the Abolition of Slavery. The first meeting of the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade took place.

1789 On May 12th, William delivered his first speech in the House of Commons against the slave trade. He also introduced his first bill to abolish the slave trade.

1790 He gained approval for a Parliamentary Select Committee to consider the slave trade and examine the evidence.

1791 In April, the first Parliamentary Bill was introduced. It was defeated by 163 votes to 88. From then on, William introduced a motion of favour of abolition during every session of Parliament.

1793–1798 The war in France meant that although the subject of the slave trade continued to be debated in Parliament, serious consideration was never given to it.

1797 William met and married Barbara Spooner. They had six children over the next ten years.

1799 The Slave Trade Regulation Act was passed to reduce overcrowding on slave ships.

1804 William helped to start the British and Foreign Bible Society and the Church Missionary Society.

1806 The new Foreign Slave Trade Act was passed. It banned all British people from helping in any way or taking part in the slave trade to the French colonies. In effect, the Act stopped two-thirds of the British slave trade.

1807 On February 23rd, the British Parliament finally abolished the slave trade. Then on March 25th the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was passed. It stopped the trading of slaves, but did not actually abolish slavery.

1822 William helped form the Anti-Slavery Society.

1823 He launched the campaign for slaves to be given their freedom.

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