One man led a movement that changed the world.
One voice changed the lives of millions.
The incredible true story of one man's fight to change the world.
This post isn't about immigration, but it is about a man who brought about change. This blog is about giving a voice to undocumented students and passing the DREAM Act, but most importantly this blog is about change.
Recently I rented from my local public library the movie Amazing Grace. The movie is based on the life of William Wilberforce, an antislavery pioneer. William Wilberforce was elected to the House of Commons at the age of 21. He had a promising political career ahead of him when he took on the fight against the British slave trade. One of William's confidents was John Newton, a former slave-ship owner, who penned the popular hymn Amazing Grace. Another friend who encouraged William to fight against slavery using political means and supported him as he struggled against the Parliament, was William Pitt the Younger, England's youngest ever Prime Minister.
The story of William Wilberforce is very moving and really exemplifies how one man can change the world. Over twenty years Wilberforce fought against public indifference and the backroom politics of the British Parliament. Over twenty years Wilberforce fought for his cause. At the same time he dealt with his own physically ailing health, as well as the growing sickness in his heart from all the frustration.
The Slave Trade Act with 283 votes to 16 was passed in March 1807 abolishing the slave trade, but not slavery. Not until July of 1833, was a message rushed to the failing Wilberforce that the Bill for Abolition of Slavery was ensured passage. Three days later Wilberforce died. And one month later, Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act, which gave most enslaved people in the British Empire their freedom.
"Wilberforce was praised in the pages of Uncle Tom's Cabin. He was compared by novelist E. M. Forester to Gandhi. Abraham Lincoln invoked his memory in a celebrated speech. In the houses of Parliament, Nelson Mandela recalled his tireless labors on behalf of the sons and daughters of Africa, calling Britain ‘the land of William Wilberforce-who dared to stand up to demand that the slaves in our country should be freed.'"
I'd like to end this with a memorable quote from the movie:
"When people speak of great men, they think of men like Napoleon - men of violence. Rarely do they think of peaceful men. But contrast the reception they will receive when they return home from their battles. Napoleon will arrive in pomp and in power, a man who's achieved the very summit of earthly ambition. And yet his dreams will be haunted by the oppressions of war. William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family, lay his head on his pillow and remember: the slave trade is no more."