The Better Hour: The Legacy of William Wilberforce

The Better Hour: The Legacy of William Wilberforce dramatizes the life of social reformer William Wilberforce, a leader in the British abolitionist movement of the early 19th century. Wilberforce's own words, the words of his contemporaries and interviews with scholars paint a portrait of the Minister of Parliament — a man of privilege, social position and wealth — whose efforts helped free slaves in the British Empire. The Better Hour also celebrates the role of the Clapham Circle, influential contemporaries who shared Wilberforce's vision, passion and faith-based zeal and employed powerful and contemporary-like marketing strategies to sell their message of reform. The film concludes with a sweeping view of Wilberforce's legacy through the eyes of modern-day social activists. The program is available in Digital Letterbox, Digital Widescreen and High Definition. It is also closed captioned for the hearing impaired.