William Wilberforce

Humans are created equal. No one should be treated worse than others; no one should be treated better. No matter the color of the skin, eyes, nose, ears, of someone, everyone should be treated with respect. William Wilberforce once asserted: "A trade founded in iniquity, and carried on as this was, must be abolished, let the policy be what it might,- let the consequences be what they would, I from this time determined that I would never rest till I had effected it's abolition." This line from Wilberforce's speech informed everyone from his time that he was on a mission to change the course of history. He created a committee in 1787 that would abolish slavery. Starting form 1789, the committee proposed many bills that would abolish slavery, many getting rebuffed. Although many people in the late 1700s believed that slavery benefitted the economy, Wilberforce did not let it deter him. In 1789, the House of Commons announced that a bill had been passed to gradually ban slavery in Britain, but it never was abolished completely. Finally in 1807, a bill was passed to completely abolish the slave trade in British Colonies, thanks to the hard work of a very heroic man. In spite of many going against his beliefs, he reached his goal and changed the world for the better. William Wilberforce may be little known in today's society, but his impact for the abolition of slavery was undeniable. Wilberforce's determination, courageousness, and integrity show how inspirational he is to everyone today.

Because of Wilberforce's determination, he did not let a couple of failures stop him from what he believed was right. Wilberforce tried to take big steps in the abolition of slavery but they were not always successful: " Wilberforce, however, held firm in his views. His persistence was finally rewarded in 1807, when following Pitt's death, a temporary Radical government coalition led by Charles James Fox united liberals and Evangelical's behind passage of an act prohibiting the slave trade" ("William, Wilberforce"). This quote shows that William did not let one failure to keep him from achieving his goals. No matter how many times it took, Wilberforce was determined to abolish slavery and was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done. Many people tried to cut down what Wilberforce was trying to do and the British parliament did not make it easy for him either: "Despite such frustration and antagonism, Wilberforce's commitment to abolition never wavered. On 26 February 1793 he narrowly lost a vote in the Commons whereby he had been hoping to put pressure on the Lords. During the sessions of 1793 and 1794 he unsuccessfully promoted a Foreign Slave Bill, which would have prohibited the use of British ships to carry slaves to the territories of other countries" (Wolfe, John). This detail shows that at first, Wilberforce was not all that successful in passing Bills he proposed. However, barely losing showed him that he had the supporters and the potential to do great things if he kept going. Also, the losses pushed Wilberforce even harder than before to be successful. Instead of just giving up because he lost a couple votes, he kept going and the results eventually showed how hard he worked. Despite some failures and bumps in the road, Wilberforce was determined to push through the obstacles and come out on top. 

Wilberforce possessed great courageousness; people respected him and supported what he was trying to accomplish. Wilberforce was not afraid to put his life on the line to stand up for what he believed in: "In January 1790 he secured a Select Committee to examine the evidence, and in April 1791 moved for leave to bring in an abolition bill. Insecurity arising from the context of the French Revolution made Parliament fear such a measure could have subversive consequences, and Wilberforce was initially decisively defeated. An extensive campaign of popular agitation and petitioning ensued, causing the House of Commons to vote in 1792 for gradual abolition, but this measure was blocked by the House of Lords" (Wolffe, John). This quote shows how brave Wilberforce is. If the British Parliament did not like what he was doing, they could have executed or thrown him into jail. However, William did not care because what he cared about most was getting the bill to be passed, no matter the circumstance. This next detail shows how Wilberforce would represent others and not just himself, if he was unsuccessful he would have to take the blame but he did not care about that possible consequence: " Clarkson organized a propaganda campaign throughout the country, while Wilberforce represented the group's interests in the House Of Commons" ("Wilberforce, William"). This detail shows his bravery; he is representing many people and this shows he is not afraid to fail. Also, this quote tells people that he would accept people becoming angry at him, and he would accept the punishment if the parliament did not agree with his ideas. As many can see, if Wilberforce did not possess the trait of courageousness, he would not be relevant today or even back in his time. Since he was not afraid, no task was too big for him, which in turn made him a very successful person. 

Wilberforce had showed great integrity through hard times. He was not afraid to stick out among others. William was not afraid to put the blame on himself and once stated: "I mean not to accuse any one, but to take the shame upon myself, in common, indeed, with the whole parliament of Great Britain, for having suffered this horrid trade to be carried on under their authority. We are all guilty-we ought all to plead guilty, and not to exculpate ourselves by throwing the blame on others; and I therefore deprecate every kind of reflection against the various descriptions of people who are more immediately involved in this wretched business." This quote shows that Wilberforce put all the blame on himself if something did not go as planned, which is a sign of having strong integrity. Instead of trying to put all the blame on someone else so that no heat was brought to him, he put anything that went poorly on himself and tried to mitigate the problem. Taken from an encyclopedia, Wilberforce was faced with many tough tests but did not falter: "Wilberforce's public standing in the wake of slave-trade abolition was immediately tested severely when the incoming tory government called another general election in May 1807, and for the first and only time in his career he faced a poll for Yorkshire. Confronting as he did the great wealth and influence of both the Fitzwilliam and the Harewood interests, it was a testimony to the personal esteem in which he was held, and to his effectiveness in representing the county over the previous quarter-century, that he was returned at the head of the poll" (Wolffe, John. "Wilberforce). William always tried to make things right but still do it to without changing his views. As well as keeping high self- esteem, he was not afraid to be the voice for many people. Wilberforce's great integrity proved that he was not a fake, which helped him gain many supporters. 

William Wilberforce used determination, courageousness, and his integrity to inspire many people throughout the world in his time and today. He was not afraid to accomplish something big and stand out among others. Although not all of his attempts to pass a bill abolishing slavery were successful, Wilberforce did not let that bother him and eventually experienced great success and had a positive impact throughout the world. He inspires because he teaches people that anyone can accomplish anything if they put their mind to it. If you put the time and effort into something, satisfying results will occur. Also, the impact will not only benefit the initiator, but people throughout the world as well. No one can deter you from what you want to accomplish: "In the eyes of secular radicals and socialists, however, his concentration on overseas slavery, his spiritual and moral preoccupations, and his underlying social conservatism caused him to disregard the deprivation and injustice suffered by his own countrymen. Behind both perceptions, though, lay an awareness of his undoubted stature as a leader who stirred the conscience of the nation and upheld the human rights and dignity of the slaves. Many others contributed to the campaign against slavery, but Wilberforce's role was essential and unique precisely because he was a fully integrated and respected member of the political and social élite." (Wolffe, John. "Wilberforce). Even is he was not liked, the slave abolitionist gained mountains of respect due to all of his work and the impact on society he had. William Wilberforce truly showed people that "anything is possible, if you believe," and has a legacy that inspires others to do what they truly believe is right, no matter what the odds are.

Works Consulted

Wilberforce, William. ""Abolition Speech" by William Wilberforce." The Art of Manliness RSS. The Art Of Manliness, 2010. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

"Wilberforce, William (1759-1833)." Encyclopedia of European Social History. Ed.Peter N. Stearns. Vol. 6: Biographies/Contributors. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001. 361-362. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

Wilberforce, William. ""Abolition Speech" by William Wilberforce." The Art of Manliness RSS. The Art Of Manliness, 2010. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

"William Wilberforce." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998.Biography in Context. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

WOLFFE, JOHN. "Wilberforce, William." Europe 1789-1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire. Ed. John Merriman and Jay Winter. Vol. 5. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 2462-2463. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

Wolffe, John. "Wilberforce, William 1759 - 1833." Oxford Dictionary Of National Biography (2010): 1. Biography Reference Center. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.