William Pitt's Role In The Slavery Industry

Over the course of human history, slavery has played a huge role in shaping the world of the past into the world of the present. For a long time, Britain faced harsh opposition to the termination of its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, a feat that would not be accomplished until the Slave Trade Act of 1807. The movie Amazing Grace focuses on an abolitionist, William Wilberforce, and those who supported him along the way. One of the people, among many, who aided him on his conquest, was William Pit the Younger. Pitt was a British politician who had a fierce opposition to slavery and the slave trade, but due to his intentions of becoming Prime Minister, needed to remain neutral on the subject. In enters William Wilberforce, a politician, a Member of Parliament, and most importantly a friend and ally of Pitt. By working with Wilberforce and other abolitionists, Prime Minister-to-be William Pitt played a pivotal role in British history and …show more content…
William Pitt takes it upon himself to introduce William Wilberforce to some friends of his. At first, Wilberforce is confused as to why their meeting was arranged, but over the course of dinner discovers that they too are abolitionists, working for the same cause as he. Pitt sees this as a way to show Wilberforce that the cross isn’t his alone to carry and that there are others who share his views on slavery. A guest at the dinner, Mr. Clarkson, shows everyone the chains that slaves are held in while on ships, and their purpose. He also explains, in short, the torturous conditions in which slaves are kept while on board. Mr. Equiano, another dinner guest, was a former slave and shows Wilberforce his brand. The reasoning for Pitt’s abolitionist dinner sinks in. From then on, Wilberforce strives and keeps pushing forward to end the slave trade, now with the help of these new abolitionist