---
title: "2 Abolition Quotes By William Wilberforce"
description: "2 Abolition quotes by William Wilberforce. Plus more from William Wilberforce and more Abolition sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68a/william-wilberforce-8564_abolition_you-may-choose-to-look-the-other-way-but_1692337.jpg"
---

> [You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/you-may-choose-to-look-the-other-way-but-you-can-never-say-again-that/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68a/william-wilberforce-8564_abolition_you-may-choose-to-look-the-other-way-but_1692337.jpg)

> [ So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the \[slave\] trade's wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for abolition. Let the consequences be what they would: I from this time determined that I would never rest until… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/so-enormous-so-dreadful-so-irremediable-did-the-slave-trade-s/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c6/william-wilberforce-8564_abolition_so-enormous-so-dreadful-so-irremediable_2916519.jpg)

## Other authors on Abolition

- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-frederick-douglass-36177.jpg) Frederick Douglass 9 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/frederick-douglass/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b009/author-frank-j-prial-35743.jpg) GaryLFrancione 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/garylfrancione/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b014/author-karl-marx-55237.jpg) Karl Marx 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/karl-marx/)

## More by William Wilberforce

> [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [Let everyone regulate his conduct... by the golden rule of doing to others as in similar circumstances we would have them do to us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/let-everyone-regulate-his-conduct-by-the-golden-rule-of-doing-to/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [Surely the principles of Christianity lead to action as well as meditation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/surely-the-principles-of-christianity-lead-to-action-as-well-as/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [Some bolder spirits, indeed, might be expected to despise the cautious moderation of these timid reasoners, and to pronounce decisively, that the Bible was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/some-bolder-spirits-indeed-might-be-expected-to-despise-the-cautious/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [“God Almighty has set before me two Great Objects: the supression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/god-almighty-has-set-before-me-two-great-objects-the-supression-of/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [The title of Christian is a reproach to us, if we estrange ourselves from Him after whom we are denominated. The name of Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/the-title-of-christian-is-a-reproach-to-us-if-we-estrange-ourselves/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners (morality).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/god-almighty-has-set-before-me-two-great-objects-the-suppression-of/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [Life as we know it, with all its ups and downs, will soon be over. We all will give an accounting to God of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/life-as-we-know-it-with-all-its-ups-and-downs-will-soon-be-over-we/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [If there is no passionate love for Christ at the center of everything, we will only jingle and jangle our way across the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/if-there-is-no-passionate-love-for-christ-at-the-center-of-everything/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [Its guilt therefore in these cases, is not to be measure by its effects on the happiness of mankind; nor is it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/its-guilt-therefore-in-these-cases-is-not-to-be-measure-by-its/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [It is the true duty of every man to promote the happiness of his fellow creatures to the utmost of his power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/it-is-the-true-duty-of-every-man-to-promote-the-happiness-of-his/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [When blessed with wealth, let them withdraw from the competition of vanity and be modest, retiring from ostentation, and not be the slaves of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/when-blessed-with-wealth-let-them-withdraw-from-the-competition-of/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [“Let him then, who would be indeed a Christian, watch over his ways and over his heart with unceasing circumspection. Let him endeavour to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/let-him-then-who-would-be-indeed-a-christian-watch-over-his-ways-and/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [Africa, your sufferings have been the theme that has arrested &amp; engaged my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/africa-your-sufferings-have-been-the-theme-that-has-arrested-engaged/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [It must be conceded by those who admit the authority of Scripture (such only he is addressing) that from the decision of the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/it-must-be-conceded-by-those-who-admit-the-authority-of-scripture/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/william-wilberforce/#itemlist",
            "name": "2 Abolition Quotes By William Wilberforce",
            "numberOfItems": 2,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "William Wilberforce"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/you-may-choose-to-look-the-other-way-but-you-can-never-say-again-that/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68a/william-wilberforce-8564_abolition_you-may-choose-to-look-the-other-way-but_1692337.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68a/william-wilberforce-8564_abolition_you-may-choose-to-look-the-other-way-but_1692337.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68a/william-wilberforce-8564_abolition_you-may-choose-to-look-the-other-way-but_1692337.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.” — William Wilberforce",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the [slave] trade's wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for abolition. Let the consequences be what they would: I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "William Wilberforce"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/so-enormous-so-dreadful-so-irremediable-did-the-slave-trade-s/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c6/william-wilberforce-8564_abolition_so-enormous-so-dreadful-so-irremediable_2916519.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c6/william-wilberforce-8564_abolition_so-enormous-so-dreadful-so-irremediable_2916519.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c6/william-wilberforce-8564_abolition_so-enormous-so-dreadful-so-irremediable_2916519.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the [slave] trade's wickedness appear that my own mind was…” — William Wilberforce",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/william-wilberforce/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/william-wilberforce/",
            "name": "Abolition Quotes by William Wilberforce",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/william-wilberforce/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68a/william-wilberforce-8564_abolition_you-may-choose-to-look-the-other-way-but_1692337.jpg"
            },
            "description": "2 Abolition quotes by William Wilberforce. Plus more from William Wilberforce and more Abolition sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/william-wilberforce/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/william-wilberforce/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Abolition",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "William Wilberforce",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/william-wilberforce/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
