© HarperCollins Publishers 2010 Significance Why was Wilberforce important in ending the Slave Trade in 1807?
Jan 10, 2016
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Significance
Why was Wilberforce important in ending the Slave Trade in 1807?
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Significance
Objectives
In this activity you will:
Explore the importance of Wilberforce in ending slavery
and the slave trade.
Understand the role of other abolitionists.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Significance
Why was Wilberforce important in ending the Slave Trade in 1807?
Wilberforce was a Member of Parliament (MP).
He delivered important speeches arguing for the
ending of the Slave Trade.
He worked closely with a religious group known
as the Quakers who also opposed the Slave
Trade.
Quakers were not allowed to be MPs.
Wilberforce was a member of the Church
of England and therefore was not prevented
from being an MP.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Significance
Why was Wilberforce important in ending the Slave Trade in 1807?
Not all MPs supported the
abolition of the Slave Trade.
Many MPs had businesses
connected to the Slave Trade.
They feared the abolition of
the Slave Trade would damage
their businesses.
For example, freed slaves would
be more expensive to employ
on sugar plantations in the
West Indies and this would make
sugar more expensive to buy.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Significance
In 1791, Wilberforce introduced his first bill to
Parliament, which called for the abolition of the Slave
Trade in the West Indies.
The bill was defeated, but Wilberforce continued
campaigning for abolition.
He worked with other supporters of abolition, such as:– Thomas Clarkson - Olaudah Equiano– Granville Sharp - Charles James Fox
In 1807, Parliament finally agreed to abolish the
Slave Trade in the West Indies.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Significance
Why was Wilberforce important in ending the Slave Trade in 1807?
Your speech will be delivered in Parliament and is designed to convince MPs to vote for your bill, which supports the abolition of the Slave Trade. Now read out your speech to the rest of the class (remember to deliver your speech with passion and emotion). Once everyone has finished reading their speeches, discuss whose speech was the most convincing and why it was so effective.
Wilberforce used speeches to gain support for abolition.
Imagine you are William Wilberforce. Write a speech that supports the abolition of the Slave Trade.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Significance
Why was Wilberforce important in ending the Slave Trade in 1807?
Using your textbook and other resources, find out
how the following men contributed to the abolition of
the Slave Trade:
– Thomas Clarkson– Olaudah Equiano– Granville Sharp– Charles James Fox
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Significance
Why was Wilberforce important in ending the Slave Trade in 1807?
After 1807, slavery continued to exist in many parts of the world and within the British Empire. Wilberforce did not support the immediate freeing of all slaves. He believed that with the abolition of the Slave Trade, slavery would disappear gradually.
However, in the mid 1820s he was persuaded to support the abolition of all slaves and all slavery. This campaign was supported by slave revolts in the West Indies.
In 1831, a widespread slave revolt occurred in Jamaica. The revolt was crushed. However, the revolt persuaded the British Government, led by Earl Grey, to abolish all slaves and all slavery within the British Empire in 1833.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2010
Significance
Why was Wilberforce important in ending the Slave Trade in 1807?
Do you now know how the Slave Trade
was abolished?
To what extent was William Wilberforce the
most important person responsible for the
abolition of slavery?