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Study Section 6: Heroes between 1759 - 1787

6.1 Connect.
In the 1700’s and early 1800’s, the slave trade was booming. Slave traders would go into areas of
Africa and gather up innocent people from their villages and transport them to foreign countries all
over the world, selling them as slaves. They were considered “non-human” living beings that were
bought and sold like cattle. Most were treated inhumanely, especially in transport. God used
men like William Wilberforce to rise up against this atrocity and outlaw its practice in England. It
took a civil war with a total of approximately 766,000 men dying to resolve the issue in America.
Let’s see today how God can use men and women to rise up again social injustice and make right the wrongs….

6.2 Objectives.

1. The student should be able to describe William Wilberforce and his life-long battle to oppose slavery
in England.

2. The student should be able to be inspired by the life of William Carey, who expected great things
from God because he attempted great things for God.

6.3 William Wilberforce 1759 – 1833

https://www.biographyonline.net/politicians/uk/william-wilberforce.html

William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was one of Britain’s
great social reformers involved in campaigns against slavery, the
promotion of education, Christianity, strict morality and animal welfare.
Wilberforce saw his life’s mission to end slavery and is remembered for
his active participation in getting Parliament to outlaw the slave trade.
He died in 1833, just three days after Parliament passed the Slavery
Abolition Act 1833, which effectively banned slavery in the British Empire.

“God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of
manners (morality).” – William Wilberforce

Early Life William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce was born in Hull, to a wealthy family. At a young age, he moved to London where he lived
with some nonconformist relatives. These puritan ideals appealed to the young William, and he became closely
attached to his London relatives. However, at the age of 12, his mother brought him back to Hull. His mother
was keen to see William brought up in the traditional Anglican Church tradition and was not keen on her son
having a nonconformist upbringing.

At the age of 18, William went to St John’s College, Cambridge University. As a student he lived a carefree life,
his early religious intensity had diminished, and he was an active participant in the social life of University.
However, he distanced himself from some of the social and drinking excesses his student colleagues participated
in. William was not the best student (he had come into an inheritance and so felt little need to work very hard)
However, he was well liked; he was an excellent conversationalist with a pleasing voice and renowned singing
voice. It was at Cambridge that he became friends with William Pitt the younger. William Pitt, a future Prime

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