Tag: Expansion and Reform

William Lloyd Garrison: from The Defender

William Lloyd Garrison, The Voice of Abolition

On January 1, 1831, William Lloyd Garrison published the inaugural editorial of The Liberator, a radical abolitionist newspaper that would become a central voice in the movement to end slavery in the United States. In this bold and uncompromising declaration, Garrison announced his commitment to the immediate emancipation of enslaved people, rejecting the gradualist approach

Frederick Douglass: from What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?

Frederick Douglass

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered his powerful and impassioned speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” to the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society in Rochester, New York. A former enslaved person and renowned abolitionist, Douglass used this platform to confront the hypocrisy of a nation that celebrated freedom while continuing to

Harriett Beecher Stowe: from Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Harriet Beecher Stowe, the Conscience of America

Published in 1852, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe became an instant bestseller and is credited with playing a crucial role in the anti-slavery movement in the United States. The novel tells the story of Uncle Tom, an enslaved Black man whose life and hardships expose the brutal realities of slavery. Stowe’s vivid portrayal

Elijah Lovejoy

Elijah Lovejoy, Martyr of the Abolitionist Movement

Elijah Lovejoy (1802-1837) WHO HE WAS: Elijah Parish Lovejoy was an American Presbyterian minister, journalist, and news editor who was a staunch abolitionist. He was murdered by a pro-slavery mob in Alton, Illinois, for his anti-slavery editorials. His death at the hands of a mob made him an icon of the abolitionist movement and his

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman, Leader of the Underground Railroad

Harriet Tubman (c.1822-1913) WHO SHE WAS: Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist, humanitarian, and an armed scout and spy for the United States Army during the American Civil War. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some thirteen missions to rescue approximately seventy enslaved people using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Beecher Stowe, the Conscience of America

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) WHO SHE WAS: Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. She hailed from a prominent religious family and is best known for her novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which depicted the harsh reality of slavery and galvanized anti-slavery forces in the northern states, while provoking widespread anger in the South.

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass, The Lion of Abolition

Frederick Douglass (c.1818-1895) WHO HE WAS: Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. Born into slavery in Maryland, he escaped in 1838 and rose to become a leading figure in the anti-slavery movement. Douglass’s eloquence and incisive antislavery writings, including his autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth, Icon of Freedom and Equality

Sojourner Truth (c.1797-1883) WHO SHE WAS: Sojourner Truth was an African American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree, she escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son, she became the first black woman to win such a case against a white

William Lloyd Garrison

William Lloyd Garrison, The Voice of Abolition

William Lloyd Garrison (1805-1879) WHO HE WAS: William Lloyd Garrison was a preeminent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He is best known for founding the anti-slavery newspaper, *The Liberator*, and for his unwavering insistence on the immediate emancipation of all enslaved peoples. His vocal advocacy and incisive writings galvanized the abolitionist movement and provoked

Lucretia Mott

Lucretia Mott, Champion of Equality and Justice

Lucretia Mott (1793-1880) WHO SHE WAS: Lucretia Mott was a pioneering advocate for women’s rights and an ardent abolitionist. Her Quaker faith informed her strong beliefs in equality and nonviolence, and she became a central figure in the fight against slavery and for the enfranchisement of women. A gifted orator and strategist, Mott’s activism helped