John Harris (anti-slavery campaigner) facts for kids
Sir John Hobbis Harris (born July 29, 1874 – died April 30, 1940) was an important English missionary and a strong campaigner against slavery. He was also a Liberal Party politician.
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Early Life and Family
John Hobbis Harris was born in Wantage, a town in Oxfordshire, England. His father, also named John Hobbis Harris, worked as a plumber and later as a builder. In 1898, John married Alice Seeley Harris from Frome in Somerset. They had two sons and two daughters together.
A Career of Purpose
John Harris first worked in the City of London for a company that sold clothes for gentlemen. He was a very religious Christian and did a lot of social work to help others. Later, he trained to become a Protestant missionary.
Soon after they got married, John and Alice went to the Congo Free State in Central Africa. They were shocked by what they saw there. Local people were treated very badly, murdered, and forced into slavery by Belgian agents. These agents were exploiting the land for valuable resources like rubber and ivory.
Fighting for Justice
What John and Alice saw in Africa made them want to act. They became active campaigners to protest these terrible actions. They told the British government and politicians about the problems. They also shared their experiences by giving evidence at hearings, publishing books, papers, and powerful photographs. They gave many lectures and spoke at hundreds of public meetings.
John Harris was ahead of his time. He spoke out against the colonial system, which was how many powerful countries controlled other lands. He believed that native peoples should have the right to decide their own future, a concept called self-determination. One politician who listened to him was E. D. Morel. Morel helped start the Congo Reform Association, and John Harris was a member. John also believed in countries working together and was part of the League of Nations Union for a while.
Getting Involved in Politics
First Steps in Politics (1910–1922)
From 1910, John Harris worked as the organizing secretary for the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society. This work led him to become more involved in politics. He became the President of the Liberal Association in Dulwich.
In 1922, he first tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for Camberwell North West. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the country's Parliament, which is like a big meeting place where laws are made. In this election, he came in third place.
Becoming an MP (1923)
John Harris successfully entered Parliament in the 1923 general election. He was elected as a Liberal MP for North Hackney. He won against the sitting Conservative MP, Sir Walter Greene, with a majority of 1,654 votes.
Later Elections (1924–1931)
He tried to keep his seat in the 1924 general election but lost to a new Conservative candidate, Austin Hudson.
John Harris tried again to win his seat in the 1929 general election. It was a very close race, but he ended up in third place.
He made one more attempt to get back into the House of Commons in the 1931 general election. He fought for the Wiltshire seat of Westbury. However, the Conservative candidate won with a large majority.
After this, John Harris did not run for Parliament again.
A Special Honor
In 1933, John Harris was made a Knight in the New Year Honours list. This was a special award for his important work with the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society. Being knighted means he could use the title "Sir" before his name.
His Passing
John Harris died suddenly on April 30, 1940, at his home in Frome. He was 65 years old. He had been working just a few days before, so his death was unexpected.
