The hero of the piece is, of course, William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), the physically frail but mentally unbreakable member of Parliament who proposed bill after antislavery bill in the House ...

In 1797, William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), the great crusader for the British abolition of slavery, is taking a vacation for his health even while he is sicker at heart for his frustrated cause.