William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was a social reformer best remembered for his part in the abolition of the slave trade. He entered Parliament as a Tory in 1780 and was the Parliamentary leader of the Abolition movement from 1787. His bill to abolish slave trading on British ships was passed in 1807 and he finally saw the abolition of the slave trade itself in British colonies in 1833.

In this print he is shown as a young man in a study with quill and a paper reading ‘Abolition of the slave trade’ surrounded by books and papers all of which indicate that he is engaged in an active campaign referencing his activities as member of Parliament for York. He worked closely with Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp, both of whom are represented in the collection.