William Wilberforce

Sam Allen Discussion 1H

William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was one of the most prominent English abolitionists of his era. His parliamentary efforts led to the passing of the Slave Trade Act in 1807, which abolished the English slave trade.

Makdisi noted that Wilberforce's objection to slavery was moralistic and largely rooted in his Christian faith. His concern was not just for the slave, but for the morality of whites in Britain. While he fought for abolition, he also sought to maintain the domestic status quo with very conservative politics. He started the Society for Suppression of Vice. He wanted to increase religious observance in the middle class.

This all was covered in Makdisi's Feb. 28 lecture, in which he lectured on Anna Letitia Barbauld's "Epistle to William Wilberforce. Makdisi argued that Barbauld was also more troubled by "English moral degradation."