Process Paper
Our topic is about the impact Christianity had on William Wilberforce. William Wilberforce was a Christian politician who fought for the abolition of the slave trade and slavery. He was a member of Parliament and the Clapham Sect, a Christian social reform group. As a member of these two groups, he took several influential actions that helped ban the slave trade in Great Britain. He worked towards political changes against the slave trade, raised public awareness about the issue, and helped improve the lives of freed slaves.
We decided to research about William Wilberforce for our NHD entry this year for a few reasons. First, we were interested in how a Christian was able to serve God through politics. Both of us are Christians, so it was inspiring to learn about how much Christianity changed Wilberforce as a person. Also, both of us are Americans, so it was fascinating to research about a historical figure from a different country.
This project topic relates to the NHD theme of “Taking a Stand in History” because William Wilberforce took countless actions to help change the status quo. At the time, slavery was the norm; hence, it took an endless amount of effort to change the public’s mind about it. However, Wilberforce was determined and worked hard for the abolition. His work finally paid off in 1807, when the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807 was passed. To this day, thousands of people recognize Wilberforce for his persistence and hard work, showing that he took a stand in history.
Once we decided our project topic, we began to gather information. We looked toward the internet for most of our research. We visited the websites of several well-known British newspapers and broadcasting networks, including The Guardian and BBC. We found quotes from William Wilberforce’s speeches and read parts of the books that he wrote. We also watched videos and short documentaries about William Wilberforce and his life. Finally, through email, we interviewed teacher and pastor Dr. Timothy Paul Jones. He helped us understand what inspired Wilberforce to become a Christian, and provided several useful primary sources.
For our project, we decided to create a website. While researching, we noticed that we relied almost completely on websites and databases. Many of these sites were full of information and very helpful. We realized that if we made a website, we would be able to educate many other students around the world about our topic. So, through our project, we will be able to help students who are interested in William Wilberforce learn more about him and his Christian faith.
William Wilberforce was inspired to fight for the abolition of the slave trade by his Christian faith. In fact, Christianity not only pushed him to become an abolitionist, but it also inspired him to work to provide education for children, send Christian missionaries to India, and prevent animal cruelty. If it were not for his religion, he most likely would not have fought for social reform.
We decided to research about William Wilberforce for our NHD entry this year for a few reasons. First, we were interested in how a Christian was able to serve God through politics. Both of us are Christians, so it was inspiring to learn about how much Christianity changed Wilberforce as a person. Also, both of us are Americans, so it was fascinating to research about a historical figure from a different country.
This project topic relates to the NHD theme of “Taking a Stand in History” because William Wilberforce took countless actions to help change the status quo. At the time, slavery was the norm; hence, it took an endless amount of effort to change the public’s mind about it. However, Wilberforce was determined and worked hard for the abolition. His work finally paid off in 1807, when the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807 was passed. To this day, thousands of people recognize Wilberforce for his persistence and hard work, showing that he took a stand in history.
Once we decided our project topic, we began to gather information. We looked toward the internet for most of our research. We visited the websites of several well-known British newspapers and broadcasting networks, including The Guardian and BBC. We found quotes from William Wilberforce’s speeches and read parts of the books that he wrote. We also watched videos and short documentaries about William Wilberforce and his life. Finally, through email, we interviewed teacher and pastor Dr. Timothy Paul Jones. He helped us understand what inspired Wilberforce to become a Christian, and provided several useful primary sources.
For our project, we decided to create a website. While researching, we noticed that we relied almost completely on websites and databases. Many of these sites were full of information and very helpful. We realized that if we made a website, we would be able to educate many other students around the world about our topic. So, through our project, we will be able to help students who are interested in William Wilberforce learn more about him and his Christian faith.
William Wilberforce was inspired to fight for the abolition of the slave trade by his Christian faith. In fact, Christianity not only pushed him to become an abolitionist, but it also inspired him to work to provide education for children, send Christian missionaries to India, and prevent animal cruelty. If it were not for his religion, he most likely would not have fought for social reform.