William Wilberforce
Amazing Grace
18 x 24 inches • oil on wood panel • artist Steve Simon
Biography
About the Painting
Selected Quote
Overview
William Wilberforce was born on August 24, 1759, in Kingston upon Hull, England. As a member of the British Parliament for decades, Wilberforce led a lifelong battle for the abolition of slavery. He was counseled by John Newton, an Anglican clergyman and former slave shipmaster, who later fought for abolition and wrote Amazing Grace. Due in large part to Wilberforce’s perseverant efforts, the slave trade was finally abolished across the British Empire in 1807. Existing slaves, however, were not granted freedom. It was not until 1833 that Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act, banning slavery across the empire. Wilberforce died three days before its passage. Slavery was not abolished in the United States for another 32 years.
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce Biography
Bending the arc necessarily requires some kind of change to the status quo. More often than not this demands some kind of political change. Sometimes, as is the case with revolutions, that change is quick and radical. The word “radical” derives from the word “root” and carries the connotation of uprooting and starting over. As such, social progress often requires radical change. In advocating for an independent democratic republic, Thomas Paine once famously articulated his radical verve by stating, “We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”
On the other end of the political spectrum, conservative change honors precedent and typically follows a more gradual timeline. One would expect morally indefensible practices like slavery to be perfect targets for radical change. In Great Britain, however, it was an independent Member of Parliament who led an effective, gradual abolition of slavery. The process took decades, but slavery was abolished in Great Britain and across the British Empire before slaves in America were emancipated. Notably, Great Britain also managed the feat without a horribly bloody Civil War. At the center of the British abolitionist movement was a perseverant force of nature.
William Wilberforce was born on August 24, 1759, in Kingston upon Hull, England. At the age of 17, a substantial inheritance left him independently wealthy, which led to a hedonistic lifestyle. Known for his generosity and affable nature, Wilberforce became quite popular. He met William Pitt, a future Prime Minister, who eventually encouraged Wilberforce to seek a seat in Parliament.
In 1780 at the tender age of twenty-one, Wilberforce was elected to the House of Commons. A few years later, Wilberforce experienced a metamorphosis that would have historic implications. He began a deep spiritual awakening, waking early to read the Bible. He regretted the unexamined tendencies of his youth and resolved to commit himself to the service of God. In 1787, he wrote in his journal, “God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners.” His religious enthusiasm, however, led him to question whether his role as a politician was inconsistent with his incipient self-discovery. Pitt and another friend, John Newton, counseled him to stay the course.
The political hurdles Wilberforce faced in his campaign for the abolition of slavery were formidable. So, too, were his personal health issues. As a child, he was sickly and plagued with poor eyesight. In 1788, he became gravely ill, probably from ulcerative colitis. The condition persisted for the rest of his life and to tolerate the effects he took daily doses of opium that induced lethargy and depression. Adding to the despondency was the loss of two daughters, his sister, and a number of close friends. His frailty worsened with age. For approximately the last quarter of his life, he used a metal frame to support his arms and torso.
Nevertheless, due in large part to Wilberforce’s perseverant efforts, the slave trade was abolished across the British Empire in 1807. Existing slaves, however, were not granted freedom. It was not until 1833 that the House of Commons passed the Slavery Abolition Act, banning slavery in the empire. Wilberforce died three days later. One month later the House of Lords passed the act, freeing nearly 800,000 slaves, mostly in the Caribbean.
Statue of William Wilberforce in Garden of Wilberforce House, Hull, UK
During his long political career, Wilberforce also led numerous benevolent organizations and participated in dozens more. He was a cofounder of the Sierra Leone colony for freed slaves, Britain’s National Gallery, Britain’s Royal Institution (scientific study and application), the Church Mission Society (missionary work in India and Africa), and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (world’s first animal welfare group).
He was also attentive to the needs of the poor and working poor, stressing the importance of education, the need to improve blue-collar working conditions, and reform of the prison system. He valued the sanctity of life, speaking out against the practice of dueling and capital punishment.
William Wilberforce died at the age of 73. He was given a state funeral at Westminster Abbey where he was buried in the north transept next to his friend and Prime Minister William Pitt.
About the Painting
William Wilberforce was still a student at St. John’s College, Cambridge when he was elected as a Member of Parliament. He was not the studious type but rather a popular figure who enjoyed singing, gambling, and drinking. These habits followed him into his early years as a politician. Though these tendencies could be problematic, his generosity and social nature endeared him to many while he also became respected for his sharp wit and brilliant oratory.
About five years into his political career, Wilberforce underwent a religious conversion, becoming an Evangelical Christian. At the time, religious fervor was considered socially unacceptable, especially among public servants. At first, Wilberforce kept his devotion relatively low-key while tempering his public persona as a fun-loving gent. This sense of living two lives, however, gnawed at him. His religious enthusiasm continued to grow, leading him to be increasingly self-critical. His new priorities left him wondering if he could remain a politician.
Wilberforce turned to two people for advice, his college friend William Pitt, who had since become the Prime Minister, and a clergyman named John Newton. Newton had previously worked as a slave shipmaster. Illness and close brushes with death had fueled his own conversion to Evangelical Christianity and inspired him to write a number of hymns. In one song, “Amazing Grace,” Newton professed of being lost as a cog in the slave trade before being found in grace. Thus, through Pitt’s prodding and Newton’s story and song, Wilberforce found the encouragement to remain in politics.
In 1787, Wilberforce began his effort to abolish the slave trade. It would take two decades of dedicated effort through “toils and snares” before his efforts would bear fruit. The painting features Wilberforce with his hand on the massive tome he authored entitled A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Published on New Year’s Eve 1806, it helped urge Parliament to abolish the slave trade throughout the British Empire. A sepia-toned likeness of the sheet music to John Newton’s famous hymn recedes into the background.
Selected William Wilberforce Quote
“It is the true duty of every man to promote the happiness of his fellow creatures to the utmost of his power.“
