Why did William wilberforce try and stop slavery?

Answer 1

C.L.R. James (The Black Jacobins) said that William Wilberforce sought the abolition of slavery because at the time abolition was in the interests of British commerce.

In the late 18th century, France enjoyed great spoils of slave labour from its colonies in the West Indies. By closing down the slave trade to the West Indies, Wilberforce sought to deprive the French of cheap labour. In other words, when self-interest reigns, morality will follow in its train.

Slavery may also have been morally unacceptable to wilberforce who had well developed,firmly held religious values.

Answer 2

Wilberforce didn't actually ban slavery, but he led the campaign to have it banned. It's thought that meeting with a ship's surgeon, who had witnessed the treatment of slaves first hand led Wilberforce to oppose slavery.

John Newton, the former slave ship captain, (author of the well-known hymn 'Amazing Grace') who became a Christian, also had dealings with Wilberforce and strongly supported his long campaign to abolish slavery. This explains the title of the recent movie on the life and activity of Wilberforce, which records the 'Amazing Grace' both saw as Christians as being operative in their lives, and also thus driving them to abolish what they both saw as a great evil and a blot upon English society.

Wilberforce's greatest motivation was thus his personal Christian belief in God, who had made all men equal and thus it was a crime for one man to own another, since all are in God's image. Wilberforce was, after a period in parliament, intending to leave, possibly discouraged by a lack of general acceptance of his proposals. However, he was encouraged to remain and persist particularly by John Newton. Wilberforce himself did not live to see his bills passed as they went through a short time after his death.

Answer 3

He saw what the slave traders did to slaves and he thought it was bad.