William Wilberforce was born in Hull, Yorkshire on August 24, 1759 to wealthy merchant Robert Wilberforce and Elizabeth. The young Wilberforce had developed an interest in politics and at the age of 21, whilst still a student, he was elected MP for Kingston Upon Hull. Wilberforce became interested in humanitarian affairs and saw that God was calling him to be a figurehead of the anti-slavery movement. He made his first major speech on abolition in the House of Commons in 1789.
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William Wilberforce by Karl Anton Hickel, c. 1794 |
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