The Clapham Sect: Motivations, Achievements, and Historical Impact

This essay delves into the motivations and achievements of the Clapham Sect, a group of Anglican social reformers in 18th and 19th century England. Headed by William Wilberforce, the Clapham Sect focused on crucial reforms like the abolition of the slave trade, prison reform, and the reform of the penal system. The essay explores their origins, influenced by the Evangelical Awakening, and their commitment to missionary work and Bible societies. It highlights their principles, including their views on Christian morality and social challenges, and their impact on various aspects of society, including education and social welfare. Furthermore, it discusses their involvement in political and social reforms, including their stance on the French Revolution and their efforts to improve the lives of the poor and the working class. The essay also touches on the Clapham Sect's role in promoting spiritual values and their contributions to the development of voluntary societies and social reform movements in England.

WHAT WERE THE
MOTIVATIONS AND
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE
CLAPHAM SECT?

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Essay : What were the motivations and achievements of the Clapham Sect? ...............................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................2

Essay : What were the motivations and achievements of the Clapham Sect?
Clapham sect was a group of church of England social reformers situated in Clapham ,
London. In 1844, Sir James Stephen given the name to the reformers as “The Clapham sect”.
This group was headed by William Wilberforce. This group does not have any members as it
was not a club. The Clapham sect mainly focussed on liberation of slaves, the abolition of the
slave trade and the reform of the penal system. The group name was originated from those
attending the Holy trinity church (Smith, 2017). Many members of this group were the members
of the parliament. The members of this group included Henry Thornton, James Stephen, Zachary
Macaulay and others.
They worked for prison reform, prevention of cruel sports and the suspension of games
laws and the lottery. The reformers supported various missionary and Bible societies. The group
of reformers were the wealthy people of Anglicans and belongs to the political conservative
background (10 things you don’t know about the Clapham Sect, 2015). The Clapham sects
abolished the Slave trade in the British empire. The other political and social reforms of This
sect consist of basic parliamentary reform. They also founded schools, missions and groups.
The Evangelical awakening or the first great awakening was a series of Christians
revivals that swept Britain and its thirteen colonies between 1730 and 1740 . The revival
movement permanently affected protestantism. In England and American colonies, pietism
became a mass movement because of the efforts of Moravian missionaries. The awakening in the
American colonies was absorbed by the existing churches. Evangelical Awakening was a
primarily a spiritual rebirth of protestantism.
In the nineteenth century, The revival movement became popular in France and the rest
of Europe. Both protestant and catholic revival movements were the religious form of
romanticism. The revival movement main objective was to provide churches a new lease of life
and expected them to proclaim the good new of salvation by the Christ throughout the world.
The London mission founded in 1795 and the Basel movement founded in 1815 (McBride,
2016). In the year 1822, The Paris society Evangelical Missions among non- Christians
populations. It was founded with the aim of Spreading the Gospel among the heathens and other
non- Christians population.
The Christians mission organised as effort to spread Christianity in the whole world.
Missions involved sending individual and groups across boundaries. These people were known

as missionaries. The groups were sent for the purpose of proselytism. A missionary is a member
of religious group and it performs ministries of service such as education, literacy, justice , health
care etc.
The non- conformist were the protestant that did not confirm to the governance and usage
of the established church of England. It included the reformed Christians and the Baptists and
Methodists. The non – conformist were restricted from many spheres of public life. It includes
places of public office, civil service careers or degrees at university. Non conformist were also
known as dissenters or free churchman. The word was first used in the penal acts following the
restoration of the monarchy and the act on uniformity to describe the conventicles (place of
worship) of the assembled that had separated from the Church of England.
Due to the movement begun in the 19th century by which nonconformist of different
denomination joined together in the free church federal council . The term non – conformist
applies in England and whales to all protestants that are dissented from Anglicanism . It includes
Baptist, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Methodists and Unitarians. Also, it includes groups
such as Quakers, Plymouth Brethren, English Moravian, Churches of Christ and the salvation
Army.
There are various principles of Clapham sect. Wilberforce provided difference between
the true nature of Christianity and Its perception and that of its defects by various professed
Christians. The professed Christian were the people that were following the ideas of Christianity
without the real belief (Mandal, 2015). The Clapham group also seemed to believe that those in
different station in society faced various challenges to their religion and moral behaviour. They
often treated challenges of poor and the rich differently. Sometimes, these differences came
from practical considerations like problematic legal enforcement on the rich and the private
Venus in which the rich practice immoral behaviour.
Proclamation society was established in the year 1787. The society aim was to check the
rapid progress of impiety and licentiousness, to promote a spirit of decency and good order. His
society was established to enforce the stricter execution of the laws against vice and immorality.
Wilberforce's vision for society reflected views on moral reforms which would be seen
throughout the Clapham sect's work. The society reflected an array of political and religious
positions (Butler, 2016). Most of the members of the society were Presbyterians, Unitarians etc.
The work of proclamation society had many of the strategic and ideological hallmarks of

Clapham which would be evident throughout their Campaigns. The reformers of 1780 were
aware of the value of publicity and the power of project – oriented associations.
The Clapham sect was concerned with reforming the manner. They often took separate
views and methodologies on changing the habits of the poor and the rich. The reformers of the
Clapham group may have applied different standard to the poor and the elite in practice, their
moral expectoration were the theologically universal. They have same type of morality from all
members of society. The Clapham sects raised their own children to value such acts of charity.
The children of Clapham taught Sunday school and conducted classes and cottage meetings.
The men and women that comprised the Clapham sect led extremely full lives and were
active in a wide array of causes and professions. The whole organization of evangelical party
was their work (Mukherjee, 2016). They share which they had in providing means for the
education of people. Also, they were the destroyers of the slave trade and slavery.
Clapham sect is known for group which of aristocratic evangelical anglicans, who go the
success for the abolition of slavery and also promoted work at home and abroad. In 1973, French
Revolution was known for one of the most unhelpful still for abolition movement in Britain. This
was one of crushing irony in which French abolition has removed one of the most powerful
argument against British abolition (Clapham Sect, 2018).
Clapham sect's has done for doing war with France. Therefore, for this opposition
Wilberforce has spoken against it. Clapham sect chose to fight with Prime Minister because of
their decision regarding French revolution. Therefore, this decision is considered as momentous
where Wilberforce lost sleep over it. They supported Pitt both personally and politically. They
also knew that this decision was hard for them because there are no chances of winning vote. In
this voting they defeated by 246 votes to 73. By this voting, king publicly snubbed him and
estranged him with Pitt for lot of months.

They have supported several missionaries and Bible societies. They also financed schools
and published their own journals. To poor peoples they always offered religious instruction
under which more emphasis is provided to improve manners in achieving something in society.
England is known to be a first country which has faced the industrial revolution. Majorly
childrens are affecting with this revolution where they are employed for long working hours.
Poor children's in that revolution hung for stealing six pence and also were thrown into
prison and for earning money their families are ready for hanging their children's (Friedman,
2015). This rude policies of government are not accepted by Clapham sect and they stand to
oppose these strategies. Clapham sect seriously wants to help poor and for that they moved with
compassion at poor, addicted and to orphan.
They have sacrifices all their time, skills and money just to provide education
opportunities to poor and to develop society well-being. By 1820 they have almost developed
tremendous opportunities where approx 500,000 poor children's have participated in English
Sunday School, which develop as most effective tool in increasing literacy among lower class
people.
These policies of Clapham has developed an enormous talent for societies and left
remarkable legacy in the history of Clapham Sect. They have developed better conditions of
societies and helps poor people to increase their comforts in 1798. This development by them is
still the most strong societies of today. Voluntary societies are undertaken by unpaid workers and
prove as one of the strongest society of England.
Clapham is themselves belong to upper and middle class but did lot for the development
of societies. In this present condition, there are lot more voluntary organisations who are
supporting poor and developing programs for their well-being. Clapham sect has fight a lot for
the development of poor and orphans and for that also stood for the election of prime minister.
The result appeared in that voting is that they won that election of parliament and creates a lot for
the development of societies.
As discussed, Clapham Sect, is a group of the Churches in England that are working for
the well-being and preventing the slavery culture in England. Clapham Sect also helped in
promoting the spiritual values with their religious mission that helps in spreading love among the

people in society. In late 17th century, England has faced a time of political and social revolution
or known as Civil war of England. As per the civil war of 17th century the battle between the
crown of England has started which gradually came to affect the religion value also. The king
Charles I has imposed act in England, because of which the activity and decision taking power of
Church of England has been ended (Rosenstone, 2018). The Scots after the war has rejected the
kings book of prayer and drafter a policies as per king that leads to resist the religion reforms that
are in favour of simpler version of worship of the protestant. In 17th century, Roman catholic
removes the laws barring Catholics from office and also reverse them from the laws of religion.
After the war happened, the new Parliament has successfully succeeded the crown. It leads to the
the complaints of MP's about the disregards of religion toleration in North England. The civil
war of 17th century leads to the conflict between Catholics and Protestants. In this period many
new ideas also been made about the monarchy, religion tolerance and the civil people living
peacefully together.
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The wars were fought which causes impulsive religion order in the Europe specially in
England. Clapham Sect and the groups associated which were associated with them. At the time
of making new parliament after the English war, there were many members of the Clapham that
were selected as the member off parliament also. It helped the Clapfam society to work even
better in order to prevent the prisoning after the war. They also worked for the prevention of the
cruel sports in order to help the poor people (Oldridge, 2018). They also helped in making laws
that assist in spreading religion value in England and outside. After the civil war of England the
citizens who were not well off suffers while on wealthy the civil war has not impacted much.
After the civil war, the poor are being instructed to adapt and offered religion in better manner.
They have been instructed and guided by the Claphamites. The church of England has been
continuously working from the well being of the people. Despite having various reformation
during the Civil War, the church of England keeps on working for the purpose it has been formed
in England.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Butler, Y.G., 2016. Self-assessment of and for young learners’ foreign language learning.
In Assessing young learners of English: Global and local perspectives (pp. 291-315).
Springer, Cham.
Friedman, D., 2015. EM Forster, the Clapham Sect, and the Secular Public Sphere. jml: Journal
of Modern Literature. 39(1). pp.19-37.
Mandal, A., 2015. Evangelical Fiction.
McBride, K., 2016. Mr. Mothercountry: The man who made the rule of law. Oxford University
Press.
Mukherjee, A., 2016. Early English textbooks and language policies in India. In Language
Policy and Education in India(pp. 21-37). Routledge India.
Oldridge, D., 2018. Religion and Society in Early Stuart England. Routledge.
Rosenstone, R., 2018. Crusade of the Left: The Lincoln Battalion in the Spanish Civil War.
Routledge.
Smith, G., 2017. Faith in local government: The emergence of religion in the politics of an inner
London borough 1975-2006. Politics and Religion Journal. 4(2). pp.157-182.
ONLINE
10 things you don’t know about the Clapham Sect. 2015.[Online].Available through
:<https://www.patheos.com/blogs/missionwork/2015/05/10-things-you-dont-
know-about-the-clapham-sect/>
Clapham Sect. 2018. [ONLINE]. Available through
<https://www.britannica.com/topic/Clapham-Sect>
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