William Wilberforce took a stand in history in several ways. Out of the many, three include:
Raising Public Awareness Wilberforce started his campaign by raising public awareness about the cruelty of the slave trade. He wrote books and made speeches about the abolition. He joined the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade as the group's spokesperson. This group's goal was to raise public awareness about the reality of the slave trade.
Political Actions Wilberforce organized several petitions against the slave trade. He and other members of the campaign presented these petitions to Parliament frequently; in 1792, 519 petitions were presented, the largest number of petitions to be submitted on a single topic during Wilberforce's day. Also, when the anti-slavery movement was pushed aside in 1793 because of Britain's war with France, Wilberforce and other abolitionists tried to revive the cause by taking advantage of newer, more open-minded members of Parliament (MPs). He also helped organize a group called the Anti-Slavery Society. This group's purpose was to help improve the slave conditions in the West Indies.
Improving Slaves' Lives Finally, Wilberforce worked to improve the lives of freed slaves. Many former slaves ended up jobless, leaving them homeless and begging on the streets. So, Wilberforce and others financially supported the Sierra Leone Company. This company founded the first free black colony, Sierra Leone, West Africa. As a result, Wilberforce helped former slaves live freely.
Complexity
Now, many historians look back at Wilberforce's involvement in the Sierra Leone Company as racist. His action could be seen as an effort to send Africans living in England away.