MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN : WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL !!!

"It is the true duty of every man to promote the happiness of his fellow creatures to the utmost of his power". William Wilberforce

The slave trade of the 18th century was the most brutal that mankind has ever created. a burgeoning trade of utmost barbaric cruelty. It was an era inhumanity became commonplace, and slaves were reduced to the status of 'mere' property and disposable commodities, whose value rose and fell according to their ability to bring profit to their masters.

One man, against all odds, did what he could to help and make the world a bit better than when he first entered it.
Confronted with the evidence on inhuman treatment and the high death rate of slaves in sea's passages, he became convicted that slavery was indeed the greatest inhumanity man could inflict on his kind,

"So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the slave trade's wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for abolition. Let the consequences be what they would: I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition”. William Wilberforce

rarely heard of today, was an eloquent, passionate member of parliament in 18th century England, who fought gallantly to stamp out slave trade and slavery. It was a long and tortuous journey that spanned so many years.

BUT A RESOLVE HAD BEEN MADE AND A PATH HAD BEEN CHOSEN;

WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, RESTORING THE HUMAN DIGNITY.

He was the British idealist, philanthropist, and British politician who manoeuvred his way through parliament for years endeavouring to end the dastardly British transatlantic slave trade. The slave trade period in World history being undoubtedly one of humankind's most shameful act of people profiting from the misery of others, he played the key role in its abolition, also one of the turning events in the history of the World.

• Born August 24, 1759 into a prosperous Yorkshire family.

• He was a delicate child, not very strong physically.

• At 18, he went to St John's College, Cambridge University.

• While at Cambridge, he met William Pitt who would later become a Prime Minister - he was the main impetus for his decision to enter politics.

• He won the seat in his native Hull, entering parliament at the age of 21.

• He was a deeply religious man and this influenced his outlook on life.

• In 1789, he spoke against slavery as a matter of great injustice and contrary to the principles of human dignity.

• He campaigned for the rights of slaves in Africa and other parts of the world.

• He spoke with skill, warmth and passion that easily won people over.

• His second great calling was for the reformation of manners.

• In 1787, he birthed a society which eventually came to be known as the society for the suppression of vice.

• He gave away One quarter of his annual income to the poor and also fought for every cause in the highest good.

• His anti-slavery efforts finally bore fruit in 1807, parliament abolished the slave trade in the British Empire.

• In the 44 years he served in parliament, he never lost an election but the cause he was fighting for, which was the abolition of the slave trade, was defeated 11 times.

• He also campaigned for legislation to improve the lives of the poor, for education, for prison reforms, for ending child labour and against cruelty to animals.

• He did all these despite the fact that poor health plagued him his entire life, sometimes keeping him bed-ridden for many weeks.

• A few days before his death, slavery was outlawed in most parts of the British Empire. Just three days after parliament passed the slavery abolition Act 1833 effectively banning slavery in that region, the great champion of humanity went to take his place in history.

"If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large". William Wilberforce

It is estimated that 11 million Africans were uprooted from their native lands and sold as slaves to work in the colonies. The horrors and terrors that they were subjected to , is better left to the imagination.

Their lips were bored with red-hot iron and their mouths sealed with padlocks.

Bound hands and feet, their skin was branded with fire.

Maidens beaten to death for refusing to dance naked.

Absolute property of their captors, subjected to death at their masters' whims.

And many such horrors hallmarked the era of slave trade. Could inhumanity have gotten worse than these, I don't think so :

After the slave trade Act was passed, thousands of slaves were rescued from ships where they had been imprisoned. Over time, slavery was outlawed in countries around the world.

BECAUSE A MAN FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

He put feet to his faith and achieved what seemed like impossible. Yesterday, William Wilberforce believed that nothing was impossible, that challenges were meant to be surmounted. He lighted the path that humanity threaded and championed the cause of the down-trodden. Three centuries later, do we still think it impossible to change the World around us? Do we still look out for brother-hood, for humanity? Are we our brothers' keeper? These are our questions to answer .

"Measure your progress by your experience of the love of God and its exercise before men".
William Wilberforce

Humanity is the brother next to you.

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