25 William Wilberforce Quotes From The Abolitionist

By Clifton Sankofa | Published August 27, 2023

Increase your passion for change with our William Wilberforce quotes.

William Wilberforce remains one of the most outgoing and passionate politically oriented abolitionists.

Learn what made this British politician and philanthropist so important with our William Wilberforce quotes.

Who was William Wilberforce?

William Wilberforce was a British politician, Christian preacher, and abolitionist.

His work to end England’s participation in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was integral to ending the horrific system.

Check out these cool facts about William Wilberforce below:

He led the Society for the Suppression of Vice.
Wilberforce headed the campaign to end British slavery for 20 years.
His views shaped him to become an independent member of the Parlament.

William Wilberforce and authentic spirituality

In a world of charlatans, it is refreshing to come across authenticity.

William Wilberforce was far from a charlatan.

He underwent a personal spiritual evolution and led a lifestyle chasing reform.

He practiced what he preached and championed unpopular campaigns like abolition.

Some of his accomplishments include missionary work in Africa and founding a mission in India.

His most impactful work as an abolitionist came when England signed the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which made stealing Africans and selling them into slavery illegal.

Wilberforce and other abolitionists like Thomas Clarke and Hannah More worked for two decades, convincing British lawmakers to outlaw slavery.

It is said that humans die when they lose their passion for life.

Wilberforce wanted the slave trade to end because he felt it was a sin and went against Christian standards.

He died three days after his government passed the Slave Trade Act.

If Wilberforce was such a strict Christian and abolitionist, did he have time for love?

Yes, he did!

For the majority of his career, Wilberforce showed little interest in relationships or having a love life.

In his late thirties, he met Barbara Ann Spooner.

They dated for only eight days before William proposed.

His friends told him to slow down, but Wilberforce was a man who knew what he wanted.

He and Barabara married immediately and had many children together.

To learn more, check out our William Wilberforce quotes below.

Short William Wilberforce quotes to live by

We start with some nuggets of wisdom from the passionate preacher.

1. “Let the animating view rekindle your resolution.” — William Wilberforce

2. “Fix your eye on the glorious prize which is before you.”— William Wilberforce

3. “Great indeed are our opportunities; great also is our responsibility.” — William Wilberforce

4. “Accustom yourself to look first to the dreadful consequences of failure.” — William Wilberforce

5. “When your strength begins to fail, and your spirits are well-nigh exhausted.” — William Wilberforce

The best William Wilberforce quotes about faith

Below, Wilberforce breaks down how we should perceive each other’s faith.

6. “I would suggest that faith is everyone’s business.” — William Wilberforce

7. “Surely the principles of Christianity lead to action as well as meditation.” — William Wilberforce

8. “It makes no sense to take the name of Christian and not cling to Christ.” — William Wilberforce

9. “Faith is a subject of such importance that we should not ignore it because of the distractions or the hectic pace of our lives.” — William Wilberforce

10. “The advance or decline of faith is so intimately connected to the welfare of a society that it should be of particular interest to a politician.” — William Wilberforce

The top Wiliam Wilberforce quotes about Jesus

Below, Wilberforce expresses his love for the Christ.

11. “He is the Lord!” — William Wilberforce

12. “His name is to be written on our hearts in such a powerful way.” — William Wilberforce

13. “Jesus is not some magic charm to wear like a piece of jewelry we think will give us good luck.” — William Wilberforce

14. “It creates within us a profound experience of His peace and a heart that is filled with His praise.” — William Wilberforce

15. “I am disturbed when I see the majority of so-called Christians having such little understanding of the real nature of the faith they profess.” — William Wilberforce

Famous William Wilberforce about the slave trade

Wilberforce was a passionate abolitionist who believed slavery went against Christian law.

16. “Upon the whole, however, here is a mortality of about 50 percent.” — William Wilberforce

17. “So much misery condensed in so little room is more than the human imagination had ever before conceived.” — William Wilberforce

18. “I must speak of the transit of the slaves in the West Indies: This I confess, in my own opinion, is the most wretched part of the whole subject.” — William Wilberforce

19. “One-third more die in the seasoning, and this in a country exactly like their own, where they are healthy and happy as some of the evidences would pretend.” — William Wilberforce

20. “Upon an average of all the ships of which evidence has been given at the privy council, that exclusive of those who perish before they sail, not less than 12½ percent perish in the passage.” — William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce quotes about women and the divine feminine

We close our list with these thoughtful quotes about the beauty and strength exuded by women worldwide.

21. “Their sensitivity to spiritual concerns seems to be far more innate and natural than a man’s.” — William Wilberforce

22. “How can we ever think that the female sex is inferior when we see the essential responsibility God has given women in this world?” — William Wilberforce

23. “Both man and woman have their own parts to play in bringing faith to the next generation, and the woman’s role is particularly important.” — William Wilberforce

24. “We should all be careful to avail ourselves of the benefits they have to offer both the present generation and the one that will follow us.” — William Wilberforce

25. “Mothers and wives often are the medium for our intercourse with the heavenly world, the faithful repositories of spiritual knowledge and wisdom.” — William Wilberforce