Wilberforce Collection Announced at King’s

The King’s College is excited to announce that a collection of historical artifacts from the life of English statesman and abolitionist William Wilberforce will be displayed on campus beginning Tuesday, October 14.

The exhibit of nearly thirty pieces includes letters from Wilberforce, first edition books and newspapers, postage stamps, coinage, and many other pieces. The collection will be exhibited in the lobby and in the admissions conference room at the front of the campus and open to the public.

Many of the artifacts belong to Bill Tetreault, the Christian and Family Outreach Coordinator at the Yonkers YMCA, while others come from the Jericho Partnership display in Danbury, CT. The historically significant collection is on long loan to The King’s College. Each piece is accompanied by a description of the artifact, as well as its relationship to Wilberforce.

These artifacts commemorate the famous English statesman best known for his work to abolish the slave trade in England. The collection illustrates the replicable impact of William Wilberforce’s life on a society, displays the links between Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect and the development of the Christian heritage of the United States, and helps re-establish and extend the legacy of Wilberforce and his friends in the United States in the 21st century.

“The remarkable story of the abolition of the international slave trade in the nineteenth century is impossible to understand without the Christian conviction and courage of William Wilberforce and his allies in the Clapham Sect,” says Dr. Loconte, an associate professor of history at The King’s College. “We are deeply grateful for this invaluable exhibit, which will help The King’s College to publicly bear witness to their enduring legacy of freedom.”

Wilberforce and his group of friends (including William Pitt and Hannah Moore) worked tirelessly to do away with slavery and restore justice. The documents and objects on display at King’s serve as a tangible reminder of the tremendous reforms a like-minded group of people can accomplish, as well as what the King’s mission statement can look like when it is lived out rightly: building upon his faith, Wilberforce truly transformed society through leadership. Hosting this collection at King’s is a way of preserving Wilberforce’s legacy. Students are encouraged to explore the display to learn more about this extraordinary Christian statesman.

“William Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect greeted the dawn of the nineteenth century with a steely determination to make the world understand the sanctity of human life. After decades of toil and serial losses, they succeeded, not only in their famous cause of the abolition of the slave trade, but in child labor, hospital, education, and financial reforms, among many others,” says Dr. Gregory Alan Thornbury, president of The King’s College. “By bringing this collection of Wilberforce’s papers and memorabilia to The King’s College, our sights are raised to consider what are the ‘Great Objects’ of our time. To help us, we look back upon the Clapham Sect for inspiration: the original Justice League.”

The exhibit is open to the public during the week from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM, on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and Sundays from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Details on the items are available here. King’s is located at 56 Broadway in Manhattan’s Financial District.