ABSTRACT
Wilberforce, since the publication of his life by his nephews, Robert Isaac and Samuel Wilberforce, has often been regarded as the one person most responsible for the abolition of the slave trade in the British colonies. A motion for partial abolition, however, was passed but Wilberforce had to wait until March 1807 for the passage of the Bill to abolish the trade. The extract is printed from a pamphlet containing the debate which was circulated at the time. Although praised for his stance against the slave trade, Wilberforce was a staunchly conservative and religious person and his support for the repressive government measures in response to popular agitation contrasts with his espousals of liberty for African slaves.
