INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS E-mail Interview , Feb.

5, 2013
John Wolffe Professor of Religious History The Open University, Milton Keynes, England
1) Do you think that if William Wilberforce had not turned to Christianity, he would have campaigned against the slave trade? Possibly,but less likely. One of his key reasons for the anti-slave trade campaign was awareness that the slaves lacked access to Christian teaching. 2) How do you think the other people in Parliament at the time viewed William Wilberforce? Generally positively, even they didnt agree with him they found him personally likeable. 3) Why do you think William Wilberforce kept at the fight even though he had lost numerous times? A sense of Christian calling, and the belief that he would win in the end. 4) If William Wilberforce had not known John Newton, do you think he would have succeeded? Yes, Newtons influence was significant at the beginning, but there were many others who inspired and supported him along the way. 5) What do you think was the biggest impact that made William Wilberforce turn to Christianity? A growing sense in his mid-20s that his life lacked direction, given focus by his conversations/travel with Isaac Milner 6) Do you think that having a friendship with William Pitt helped William Wilberforce abolish the slave trade? Yes, Pitt certainly gave him off the record encouragement and as much open support as he could.

7) Do you think that is William Wilberforce had not abolished slavery, that the USA would still have slavery today? No, the process might have taken longer without him, but I think the tide of opinion would have turned against slavery eventually and before our times. 8) Do you think there is an issue in today's society that is a divisive as slavery was then? Trading inequalities with the developing world 9) Do you see any William Wilberforce's in today's society? No, but circumstances are very different 10) Do you think William Wilberforce gets enough credit in American history when we talk about slavery? Not sure the American experience of abolishing slavery through a brutal civil war was very different from the British. Perhaps there is something still to be learnt from Wilberforces tactics of persistent but peaceful persuasion!

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E-Mail Interview Feb.1, 2013

Vanessa Salter Assistant Curator of Projects William Wilberforce House Museum Hull Museums Monument Buildings Queen Victoria Square HULL
1) Do you think that if William Wilberforce had not turned to Christianity, he would have campaigned against the slave trade?

This is a very interesting question and so hard to answer as there is no right or wrong answer. My personal belief is that he would have been against the slave trade as inhuman if he had not turned to Christianity. However his Christianity provided a framework for his campaign and provided a moral imperative to fight for the enslaved people's rights.
2) How do you think the other people in Parliament at the time viewed William Wilberforce? Many people in Parliament had vested interests in the slave trade, from those who owned slave ships to MPs that had shares in companies that fitted out the slave ships. The list is endless. Many people wanted to slave trade to continue as they saw it as a profitable trade and did not agree with Wilberforce. He was probably seen as interfering man who upset the established order and threatened the nation's prosperity and power. 3) Why do you think William Wilberforce kept at the fight even though he had lost numerous times? I believe that Wilberforce took the slavery cause to his heart and felt that he could not rest until its abolition. It was a moral imperative to carry on. 4) If William Wilberforce had not known John Newton, do you think he would have succeeded? This is another interesting question and it is difficult to answer. I think meeting John Newton provided a religious conviction that what he was experiencing was right and that he should not shy away from it or hide it away. This supported and molded Wilberforce's religious beliefs but I do not know if this was a crucial factor in Wilberforce's campaign, it was a contributing factor. 5) What do you think was the biggest impact that made William Wilberforce turn to Christianity? It was the companionship of Isaac Milner during the Franco-Italian Riviera trip that helped Wilberforce question his beliefs and lifestyle. They argued all through the trip on religion and this formed the start of the road to Christianity for William Wilberforce. The book, 'The Rise and Progress of Religion in the soul' by Philip Doddridge was very influential in forming Wilberforce's beliefs. 6) Do you think that having a friendship with William Pitt helped William Wilberforce abolish the slave trade? It is hard to say. Pitt's political influence was very strong, but Pitt did not want to upset the political structure and helped Wilberforce in a limited way. Wilberforce did not want to upset his friend. Yet when Pitt did die, Wilberforce and others managed to push the abolition of the slave trade through Parliament. 7) Do you think that if they had not "cheated" by making each ship wear its own flag, would they still have been able to abolish it? Once the abolition of the slave trade Act and then Slavery (1833) was passed, it was very difficult to actual manage the abolition and Parliament did not give the Navy the sufficient amount of resources to tackle this and so many ships got away. 8) Do you think that is William Wilberforce had not abolished slavery, that the USA would still have slavery today? I don't think slavery would still be around. My knowledge of the abolition of slavery in the USA is very weak and there were other figures and groups such as the Quakers that were influential in the campaign for the abolition of slavery, more so than Wilberforce. However Wilberforce and others did pave the way to abolition of the slave trade and slavery.

9) Do you think there is an issue in today's society that is a divisive as slavery was then? This is a really hard question, Slavery still continues similar to Wilberforce's time but in different forms. The general public does not know the full extent of the problem. We do not know where our goods that we paid for come from and the type of labour that was used to produce them. It is very easy with the internet to buy from all over the world without knowing who produced it. 10) Do you see any William Wilberforce's in today's society? My personal view is that there are many more but we do not know them in such depth as Wilberforce because of the internet. The social media of face book and twitter can make everyone who chooses to be a 'mini-Wilberforce' by creating knowledge about injustices and the wrongs in society through the internet. 11) Do you think William Wilberforce gets enough credit in American history when we talk about slavery? As a non-American I really cannot answer that as my knowledge of the American schooling system. However there are many American students who write to me as you have asking questions, often in-depth about William Wilberforce. So I feel that Wilberforce probably does get enough credit.