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William Wilberforce and Abolition

Introduction

As a result of this lesson, students will understand William Wilberforce's role in the abolishment of slavery in England and English territories in the 1700s and 1800s.

William Wilberforce came from a wealthy merchant family. In 1785, he embraced evangelical Christianity, which influenced his approach to politics. During his early years in the House of Commons, he worked to suppress vice and reform public manners. At the suggestion of the Prime Minister, William Pitt, Wilberforce became the parliamentary leader of the abolition movement.

Wilberforce actively spoke out against slavery in the House of Commons, and presented the Abolition Bill on multiple occasions. In 1792, Parliament passed the Abolition Bill, but an amendment including the word "gradual" gave slave traders an opportunity to join forces to effectively stall abolition. In 1807, the Abolition Act stopped the slave trade, but did not end slavery.

Support for Wilberforce's policies grew in the working class and through the churches. This pressure caused the members of Parliament to vote for the abolition of slavery. The Emancipation Bill of 1833 was passed, but again there was a "grace period." In 1838, slaves would be converted to apprentice status before their manumission was complete. Three quarters of a million slaves in the Caribbean were freed. Wilberforce never lived to see full emancipation, having died in 1833.

Teacher Materials

Student Materials

Strategy

  1. Present this lesson after slavery has been studied. Be sure to emphasize that William Wilberforce was a member of the British Parliament who worked for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, not the United States.

  2. Introduce William Wilberforce using the information in the Introduction and linked articles. Have students take notes as you teach about Wilberforce using the Note-Taking Graphic Organizer. It will be helpful if you also write out the notes and have them posted for the activity at the end. Discuss and ask questions as you go. For younger students, you may wish to show the Optional Slideshow on a screen in your classroom.

    • Personal information: his family's status, his conversion to evangelical Christianity, his death.
    • Early goals in Parliament: improve public morals and eliminate vice.
    • His Abolition Bill and what the word "gradual" did to its effectiveness.
    • His growing support among the working class and the churches.
    • 1838 and the abolition of slavery, an event he was not alive to witness.
    • Other interesting facts.

  3. Give each student an Information Wheel Graphic Organizer . Discuss the various headings and then have students review their notes and write information in the appropriate sections. Complete sentences and correct spelling and grammar are expected. The center of the wheel should have the words "William Wilberforce" and, if desired, a hand-drawn a picture of Wilberforce.

  4. Lead the class in a discussion about William Wilberforce as a historical figure.

Lesson Extensions

  • Have each student develop an anti-slavery broadside (poster) supporting the abolition of slavery in the United States.


This lesson was written by Dee Albrinck, elementary school teacher, Florence, KY, and Linda Colbert, retired elementary school teacher, Williamsburg, VA.



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