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Hello, I’m Marina Santee.
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And I’m Rachel Hobson. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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London. The year is 1789. Bright sun shines through the large windows of a beautiful, old building. The Houses of Parliament — the centre of government for Britain and its colonies. Inside, government members are busy discussing important matters. The long wooden seats on each side of the main room are crowded. There is a man sitting on a raised chair at one end of the room. He hits the table in front of him. Everyone is quiet. He announces who is to speak next. A young man stands up. He talks for the next three hours. He repeats fact after fact about the evils of the slave trade — the buying and selling of people. At the end of his speech he says:
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“Now you have heard all this. You may choose not to act. But you can never again say that you do not know.”
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This young man’s name was William Wilberforce. He is famous for his part in ending the slave trade. He is famous for his courage and selfless acts. However, this great man did not begin with a desire to save the world. He wanted to be as successful as possible in the world of politics. He became a member of parliament when he was only twenty—one [21]. He was a very popular speaker. The Prime Minister was one of his best friends. Everyone agreed that he was very skilled at politics. The future looked great for the young Wilberforce.
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But soon, Wilberforce’s opinions about the important things in life changed. A friend had asked him to think seriously about God — to talk about him, to read about him. Wilberforce started to question his own selfish values. He felt that God was showing him a better way to live. So, Wilberforce decided to trust God with his life. Political success was no longer important. In fact, Wilberforce worried that he could not serve God well as a member of the government. He thought of leaving parliament. But a friend of his, John Newton, gave him this advice:
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“God has raised you up for the good of the church and the good of the nation... Continue in parliament. Who knows? Maybe God has brought you into public life at this time for a reason. Maybe he has a purpose for you.”
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Could that purpose be to fight against the slave trade? Wilberforce wondered about this. Slavery in Britain was illegal. But in the colonies, the slave trade was still strong. A group of people formed in Britain. They demanded that the government stop the slave trade. But these people had no power. They needed a member of the government to speak for them. So they asked William Wilberforce. And he agreed. As a Christian, he believed that God had created all men as equals. The slave trade was a great evil that had to be stopped. That was when he made his three hour speech in parliament.
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Many members of parliament, or MPs, did not agree with Wilberforce’s speech. They argued that Britain’s wealth depended on the slave trade in its colonies. Also, some MPs said that the slave trade was a helpful thing. They claimed that slave traders were actually rescuing African people captured during conflicts in their country — and that the traders were taking them away to a better life.
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Many British people believed these reasons to keep the slave trade. They did not know how much African people suffered as slaves. So the group against slavery travelled around the country. They told people about the terrible conditions on slave ships. They published stories written by slaves. They persuaded people to stop eating sugar. (Sugar was one of the main crops that slaves had to produce). Slowly, British people began to see that the slave trade was less than human. And this change in public opinion helped Wilberforce’s fight in parliament.
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The story moves to 1796 — seven years after Wilberforce had made his first speech against the slave trade. People felt that the government was now ready to vote against the slave trade. But Wilberforce’s enemies had a plan. They found a way to stop members of parliament from voting. They gave away theatre tickets to the MPs. These tickets would admit the MPs to a musical play. The play was the same night as the vote against the slave trade. And some MPs went to see the play instead of voting. The anti—slave trade bill was defeated by only four votes. Wilberforce could not believe what happened. He became very sick after these events.
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But around the world, the struggle against slavery was increasing. In the West Indies, slaves were rebelling against their masters. On the island of Haiti, slave groups even succeeded in taking power from the colonial government. These events gave Wilberforce courage. He continued to present his anti—slave trade bill in parliament. He believed that change had to happen soon.
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In 1806, one of the anti—slavery group had an idea. James Stephen was a legal expert. He suggested that Wilberforce should present a different bill in parliament. Owning slaves in Britain was already illegal. But transporting and selling slaves outside Britain was still legal. This bill would ban British people from being involved with the slave trade anywhere in the world. This meant that British businessmen could no longer deal with colonies where the owners were still using slaves. So, British traders would have to find different places to trade with. They would not profit from continuing to support the slave trade. So there was no point supporting it any more. Wilberforce did present this bill. And parliament approved it. Wilberforce sensed that victory was near.
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On the 23rd of February 1807, Wilberforce presented his anti—slave trade bill once more. All through the night, MPs stood up one by one and declared their support for the bill. Wilberforce sat and listened. Tears flowed down his face. At four o’ clock in the morning, the result came: against Wilberforce’s new law — sixteen [16]. In support of the law — two hundred and eighty three [283]. The capturing, transporting and selling of African people was, at last, illegal.
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However, the battle was not over. Existing slaves in the colonies still needed to gain freedom. Wilberforce was becoming old and weak. But he continued to fight for these slaves too. In 1833, the British government passed a bill to free slaves everywhere that Britain ruled. Wilberforce heard the long—awaited news. Two days later, he died. He had fought a long, hard battle. But now, his work was finished.
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The writer and producer of today’s programme was Ruby Jones. This programme is called, “William Wilberforce”. You can write to Spotlight by e-mail. Our address is radio @ English . net. Thank you for joining us today, goodbye. |