William
Wilberforce could have probably never been so successful without his
supporters. These are some people who helped him:
1. Thomas Clarkson played the most important role. He was the one who influenced him to abolish the slave trade. Thomas Clarkson found huge sums of evidence for Wilberforce to use in parliament. He also arranged for William Wilberforce to go to parliament.
2. Hannah More was the most influential member of the society for Effecting the abolition of the African slave trade. Their friendship grew deeper and deeper after they met. She spent large amounts of time with him, planning their abolition campaign.
3. Thomas Foxwell Bunton worked with William Wilberforce and founded the Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of slavery in 1823. He took over William Wilberforce’s place in parliament after his retirement.
4. James Ramsey also collected evidence to help William Wilberforce after he was shocked by the harsh treatment of slaves in plantations.
5. Though it was not a person. Evangelism made William Wilberforce choose to abolish slave trade as he wanted to do work that would both be helping people and political work. Which he converted to in 1784.
6. Granville sharp helped Thomas Clarkson form the Society of the Abolition of slave trade. He also persuaded William Wilberforce to become the spokesman for the House of Commons.
7. His old friend john Newton did not persuade him to abolish slavery but he did persuade William Wilberforce that his political life could be used in the service of God.
