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Amazing Grace
William
Wilberforce was first elected to the House of Commons at the age of 21 and dedicated
the rest of his life to leading the fight to abolish slavery. He worked to collect
evidence of the crimes of the slave trade, collected 390,000 signatures to support
his cause, and relentlessly crafted anti-slavery bills. In 1789, he concluded
his three hour debate in the Houses of Parliament before Members of Parliament
voted on his Abolition Bill with the words, "You may choose to look the
other way but you can never again say you did not know."
Amazing Grace follows Wilberforce's career through his 20s and 30s, when he and his fellow humanitarians made the issue of slavery a talking point, not only in political circles, but also throughout the country. They waged the first modern political campaign, using petitions, boycotts, mass meetings and even badges with slogans to take their message to the country at large. Wilberforce steered this cause through the corridors of power and ultimately opened the way for the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. His success came after decades of fighting when Parliament finally passed the first anti-slavery bill in 1807. After almost 20 years of leading the British abolitionist movement, Wilberforce wept tears of victory when the slave trade throughout the British Empire was finally abolished in 1807.
Amazing Grace opens in theaters February 23, 2007. The Amazing Grace Web site offers extensive additional information, including a study guide for students in grades 9-12.
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"William Wilberforce M.P. The
Friend of Africa," bronze medal by D. B. Spooner & Co., Birmingham, England,
1807. From the collections of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Accession
# 1996-219
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