Legacies
Wilberforce’s legacy can perhaps best be summed up by his life’s mission statement, as written in his journal, October 28, 1787.
“God has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.”
Wilberforce is best remembered for leading the 20-year quest for the abolishment of the British slave trade, in which he led the world through a difficult era into a new and more equal model of society. He became a symbol of what one person can do to change the world when armed with unshakeable faith and a deep desire to help people in need.
The abolition of the slave trade and ultimately, slavery, in Great Britain contributed to slavery's end in America and in many other places around the world. If Wilberforce had not stayed the course with this important cause, slavery could have taken many more decades to be defeated in the United States. This would impact America today with delayed progress in race relations and equality among all people.
Wilberforce described his second “great object” as the “reformation of manners” or “making goodness fashionable.” Finding his country in a state of moral downturn, he decided to use every means possible to call the country back to a higher moral standard. He led, funded, or supported at least 70 philanthropic projects. It was said, “Good causes stuck to him like pins to a magnet.” Certainly, he left Britain a more humane society.
Image from A Journey Through the Life of William Wilberforce.
Dr. Cawthon Interprets the Legacy Wilberforce Left for Us Today
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Dr. Cawthon and Dr. Hopkin's Thoughts on Today's Society if not for Wilberforce
 This plaque in York Minster illustrates Wilberforce's legacy in such a simple yet powerful way: "Remember William Wilberforce." |
Image from A Journey Through the Life of William Wilberforce. | ||||