William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was an English abolitionist. He was born in Yorkshire, England and studied at Cambridge. He became a member of the House of Commons in 1790 where he remained for over 30 years. Through the influence of John Newton, one of his former teachers, he became a devout evangelical Christian and an advocate for social reforms. His efforts to abolish the slave trade were achieved in 1807 when a bill that abolished the evil practice became law. His work was not done, however. It wasn’t until 1833, a month after he died, that an Emancipation Bill was passed that freed all slaves under British rule. During his life he also helped to found numerous charitable organizations, mission societies, and Bible foundations. He used his power and position to help enact laws that represented the Christian ideals he believed should govern society.
