As well as exploring the links with the sea, this was the birthplace of William Wilberforce, who campaigned to abolish slavery.
Born to a wealth tradesman, Willberforce lived with relatives in Wimbledon, where he was exposed to Evangelical Anglicanism.  Willberforce was well educated and attended Cambridge University.  After University he was elected Member of Parliment for Hull and became a supporter of the Tory program as devised by William Pitt the then Prime Minister.  Following European travels Willberforce became an Evangelical Christian and spent a great deal of time and energy trying to improve the morality of those around him.  He soon took on the fight to abolish slavery and was eventualy a member of the leader of Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade. He used his parlimentry position to raise awarness, but the start of the French Revolution caused the minds to be focused else where.  It took him till 1807 to finally get a Parlimenty Act passed abolishing the trade of slaves.  Wilberforce then proceeded to push for the banning of slavey completely.  He endevoured till his ill health forced retirement.  Slavery was finally banned in 1833, just one month after his death.
In the city's museum quarter there's plenty about his life at the Wilberforce Museum.