An Abolitionist Passion to end Slavery: A Look on the Life of William Wilberforce
As the American founding fathers were developing the American nation, the European parliament battled an internal threat that almost shattered the sure foundation of the European regime. The internal threat is slavery since this issue was a matter of great injustice and contrary to the principles of human dignity. According to Wilberforce, God Almighty gave him two objectives; the first is the suppression of slave trade and the second was the reformation of their manners (morality). The importance of William’s Wilberforce’s life retelling indicates that his passion to end slavery will give his European and the American citizens an unchanging legacy to follow since he successfully ended slavery once and for all. For these reasons, we will be observing and noting three distinct aspects of the abolitionist William Wilberforce’s life. First, we will be noting William’s younger life and his education. Second, we will be observing William’s characteristics in his young adulthood and his entry to parliament. Third, we will be noting William’s spiritual awakening and his changes to his characteristics after he went to parliament and developed his political mindset.
First, we will be noting Wilberforce’s younger life and his education. On August 24th, 1759 William Wilberforce was born to a wealthy Yorkshire family in the England city of Hull. When he just turned 12, His Mother decided to take him to London to live with his non-conformist uncle. Surprised by the outcome of the nonconformist point of view, his Wilberforce’s mother was convinced to take him back home since she valued the Anglican Church traditions and not a nonconformist view. When he just graduated high school at age 18, He was exclusively intrigued by politics and decided to pursue the chosen major. Three years later, he affirmed that politics was his major and enrolled at the prestigious university of Cambridge. He developed a well-built relationship with his colleague, William Pitt, at Cambridge. During his years at the university, he was well-liked, a great conversationalist, and also a beautiful singer. On the downside, He was not a great student because he preferred socializing and playing card games with his friends rather than obtaining a good grade by creating a great work ethic. As we can see by his younger life and education, it was tolerable but not brilliant.
Secondly, we will be noting his characteristics in his young adulthood and his entry into Parliament. At the end of his college career, he deliberately decided to run for a seat on the floor of the House of Commons in a division of Parliament because he wanted to ban slavery once and for all. After he decided, he spent 8,000 Euros (that is a lot of euros) which won the entire majority of his district. Four years later, he travelled to Europe with his family which sparked a Christian revival in his heart. After he travelled to Europe, he met up with one of colleagues James Ramsey to discuss the issue of slavery. This meeting took place in the year of 1783 (the year before the intense conversion began). At that meeting with James Ramsey, they discussed how the European economy was heavily dependent on the buying and selling slaves like Thomas Clarkson noted on the freedom of all men, “It appears first, that liberty is a natural, and government an adventitious right, because all men were originally free.” (Clarkson, Thomas, Brainy Quote.) Thomas Clarkson and all of the abolitionists, who wanted to end slavery, were hammering the point that slaves are supposed to be free because all men were originally free from 1789 to July 29th 1833, when the Abolition of Slavery Act was enacted. As time progressed, The European citizens did not value human dignity of the slaves because slavery was on the contrary with the principles of Human dignity and did not affirm their rights as free European citizens. Another abolitionist changed his life for the better. Amazingly, Thomas Clarkson, which was abolitionist’s name, affected his life by encouraging him and giving him the passion to end slavery for all of Europe. For these reason, William Wilberforce decided to take up the cause to eliminate slave trade and slavery for all of the years approaching. We can note that his young adulthood and entry to parliament was a great way to gain experience in the political world.
Third, we will be observing how his characteristics and priorities changed when he was spiritually awakened. As he was participating in parliament, He decided to seek the advice of John Newton. Newton boldly proclaimed, if we can end slavery for all of Europe, we can do it with the help of the one true Almighty God. This well-proclaimed statement reaffirmed Wilberforce’s passion to end slave trade then end slavery for all of the inhabitants of Europe. Interestingly; William Wilberforce underwent a very vigorous religious conversion between 1784 and 1786. He decided to give up all his racehorses, gambling, and attendance at clubs, since he underwent a very vigorous vivid religious conversion. On a Bright day, Wilberforce noted on welfare of the society rested solely on faith, “I would suggest that faith is everyone’s business. The advance or decline of faith is so intimately connected to the welfare of a society that it should be of particular interest to a politician.”(Brainy quote) His character now demonstrated that advances and declines of Faith promotes or demotes the values of the European parliament as a whole. Therefore, Christianity has made dramatic changes to Wilberforce’s character and priorities. As we have seen in this well-written essay, we can see three distinct aspects. First, we noted that his mom was strongly against the worldview of a nonconformist and decided to raise Wilberforce in an Anglican Church background. Second, we observed that not only did he love politics but he won a seat on the floor of the House of Commons. Finally, we showed how Christianity made a dramatic change to Wilberforce’s character qualities and interests. Out of these three facts, the most important and most factual correct aspect is How Christianity made a dramatic change to Wilberforce’s Character qualities and interests. You, as the reader, might be asking “Why is this aspect the most important in all three points of this essay?” This aspect is the most important because it indicates that the fact of principles of Christianity and faith in God, Christians can end Slavery once and for all across Europe. After he was Spiritual awaken, He had an abolitionist mindset to passionately end slavery. William Wilberforce elaborated his mindset of faith, “Surely the principles of Christianity lead to action as well as meditation.” As his lasting legacy of ending slavery resonated on the lives of the European inhabitants, He believed that the true advances of abolishing slavery was due to the principles of Christianity and his walk with God, because his belief in God led to Wilberforce to take action and have the an abolitionist passion against slavery and the slave trade that was dispersed throughout all of Europe. These three points affirms that Wilberforce was accomplished to eliminate slave trade and slavery in all of Europe. He truly did have an abolitionist passion to end slavery once and for all.
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