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Amazing Grace - William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery (Hardcover)
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Amazing Grace - William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery (Hardcover)
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Amazing Grace is based on the true story of William Wilberforce, a
British statesman and reformer from the early part of the 19th
century. It chronicles his extraordinary contributions to the
world, primarily his 20-year fight to abolish the British slave
trade, which he won in 1807. He was also instrumental in passing
legislation to abolish slavery in the British colonies, a victory
he won just three days before his death in 1833. He was a hero to
Abraham Lincoln and an inspiration to the anti-slavery movement in
America. America needs to become reacquainted with this moral hero.
In 1784 Wilberforce had a conversion experience. He joined the
Clapham Set, a group of pious and activist members of the Anglican
Church, centered around John Venn, rector of Clapham Church in
London. As a result of this conversion, Wilberforce became
interested in social reform and was eventually approached by Lady
Middleton to use his power as an MP to bring an end to the slave
trade.
Wilberforce became one of the leader of the anti-slave trade
movement. Most of Wilberforce's Tory colleagues in the House of
Commons were opposed to any restrictions on the slave trade and at
first he had to rely on the support of Whigs. When William
Wilberforce presented his first bill to abolish the slave trade in
1791 it was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88. Wilberforce refused
to be beaten and in 1805 the House of Commons passed a bill that
made it unlawful for any British subject to transport slaves, but
the measure was blocked by the House of Lords. In February 1806,
Lord Grenville formed a Whig administration. Grenville and his
Foreign Secretary, Charles Fox, were strong opponents of the slave
trade. Fox andWilberforce led the campaign in the House of Commons,
whereas Grenville had the task of persuading the House of Lords to
accept the measure. When the vote was taken the Abolition of the
Slave Trade bill was passed in the House of Lords by 41 votes to
20. In the House of Commons it was carried by 114 to 15 and it
became law on 25th March, 1807.
Unfortunately, the passing of this legislation did not put an end
to the practice of slave trading. Even though British captains who
were caught continuing the trade were fined L100 for every slave
found on board, captains often reduced the fines they had to pay by
ordering the slaves to be thrown into the sea. William Wilberforce
died on 29th July, 1833 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. One
month later, Parliament passed what Wilberforce had dedicated his
life toward; they passed the Slavery Abolition Act that gave all
slaves in the British Empire their freedom.
This biography of one of the foremost abolitionists of Britain's
anti-slavery movement will be the official tie-in book to the film
Amazing Grace by Walden Media.
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