William Wiberforce - died 180 years ago today

[The Esk]

“God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners (morality).”​

 

[Fensta]

The name sounds familiar but have no idea who he was.

 

[somuchfun]

But does he track back? Would be a good name on the back of a shirt.

 

[blue61]

RIP WILBO

 

[SaintToffee1981]

What's his sell on value?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I think you needed a cheese on toast option to stir the masses Esk.

 

[ToffeeMark]

Britain ruled the seas in the 1800's and Wilberforce was instrumental in banning the slave trade in the British Empire in 1807. The USA didn't get around to it until the 1860's.

You need to remember that when you see those American Civil War films such as Glory. (American Civil war was 1860's).

Good man.

 

[tsubaki]

Britain ruled the seas in the 1800's and Wilberforce was instrumental in banning the slave trade in the British Empire in 1807. The USA didn't get around to it until the 1860's.

You need to remember that when you see those American Civil War films such as Glory. (American Civil war was 1860's).

Good man.

The tragedy of that era is that for more than sixty years the legal position of slavery in the empire - not just the trade in slaves, which is what Wilberforce's 1803 ban forbade - was clear; that it was illegal under Common Law and that the colonists had no right to bring in laws that made it legal. Instead of obeying the law, a load of people enslaved and killed a load more people, then got paid compensation after they were made to give up the slaves* afterwards.

* albeit they didnt really give them up, they just employed them and their descendants on very low wages doing the same jobs

 

[Allezfan]

The 1807 act banned the slave trade, true, but it wasn't until 1843 that slavery was banned outright throughout the empire (the 1833 ban had exceptions in asia). We have less of a moral high ground over america on that matter than we make out.

Though we went all out in trying to stop the slave trade, something we don't get enough credit for. The british navy spent most of the 19th century actively hunting slavers and attacking slaver cities. (Which is ironic because the navy was one of the most prominent voices for continuing slavery. Some historians argue that if Nelson had been alive in 1807 the ban never would have passed given how big a hero he was and how pro slavery he was.)

Great man, anyway.