They had seen women carried off to fancy, or watched as a father was stripped and beaten in front of his child, or seen whole families pinned like hogs into railcars, steamboats, and jails. An extensive collection of firsthand testimony and. Books on slavery and freedom in the making of america. Douglass escaped slavery himself and published a memoir titled narrative of the life of frederick douglass, an american slave.
As roth put it in the mind of the novels young protagonist, named philip roth, the terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides. This list consists of the more prominent abolitionist leaders and activists. The bestknown and most influential book by an escaped slave was the narrative of the life of frederick douglass, an american slave, which was first published in 1845. Blackwell abby kelley foster abolitionism abolitionist abolitionist women active american antebellum anti slavery society antoinette brown argued became belief blackwell family papers bloomer boston cady stanton papers career cause church coworkers crusade daughter declared demands duties e. The following is an illustrated list of american abolitionists, antislavery activists, and opponents of slavery. Over time, abolitionists grew more strident in their demands, and slave owners entrenched in response, fueling regional divisiveness that. Us history textbooks have been slow to incorporate black humanity in their slavery narratives. His home was a station on the underground railroad. We will be adding a number of historic books on the anti slavery and abolitionist movement. Opposed the mexican american war and the extension of slavery into texas. She has worked extensively on the history and memory of the global slave trade, and has authored and edited some dozen books on the. Stories from slavery, shared over generations the new york times. American abolitionism in transnational perspective.
The chiciago defender, 19091975, an influential historical african american newspaper international index to black periodicals, coverage from 1902 onward schomburg studies on the black experience topical overviews. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. In the 18th century, enlightenment thinkers condemned. The case for abolition was being made as early as 1652 in rhode island by roger williams, who argued for limits to the. The religious defense of american slavery before 1830. Abolitionism or the anti slavery movement in the united states of america was the movement which sought to end slavery in the united states immediately, active both before and during the american civil war. Society for the preservation of long island antiquities. In the book s first half, sinha focuses on first wave abolitionism. Testimony of a thousand witnesses, which was published by the american anti slavery society.
In the early and midnineteenth century abolitionists encouraged their publication and often used slave narratives to elicit support for their cause. Constitution, which left the question of slavery to the individual states. No 68 narrative of the life of frederick douglass, an american slave by frederick douglass 1845. A history of abolition, she turns her attention from the slave masters to their greatest opponents, and her new book is. Abolitionist art and the american slave trade mcinnis, maurie d. American slavery and the relentless unforeseen the new. Ten books on slavery you need to read politico magazine. The slave narratives influence on american literature. The abolitionists saw slavery as an abomination and an affliction on the united states, making it their goal to eradicate slave ownership. Race is a real and powerful force and one he has spent his adult life trying to understand, says anglonigerian historian, writer and producer, david olusoga. Each of the twelve chapters that follow has an introduction that discusses the leading secondary books and articles on the topic in question, followed.
American slavery and the relentless unforeseen the new york. Discover librarianselected research resources on black abolitionism from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines, newspapers and more. Theodore weld, his wife angelina grimke, and her sister sarah grimke compiled american slavery as it is. Slavery transformed the nations politics, too, eventually resulting in a devastating civil warthe most deadly war in the history of the united states.
Slavery and abolition in american history internet archive. As i write in my book, empire of cotton, american slavery and the cotton it produced was crucial to the development of global capitalism. In the americas and western europe, abolitionism was a movement which sought to end the atlantic slave trade and set slaves free. One reason abolitionists are forgotten is that they were inescapably christian in their motives, means, and. Discovering the africanamerican experience in suffolk county, 1620 1860. Abolitionists wanted to destroy slavery root and branch, not pick up its fallen leaves. His second daughter was noted author louisa may alcott, who was also opposed to. Slavery in the united states was the legal institution of human chattel enslavement, primarily of africans and african americans, that existed in the united states of america from the beginning of the nation in 1776 until passage of the thirteenth amendment in 1865. Publication date 1999 topics antislavery movements united states history juvenile literature. Slavery, freedom, and abolition in latin america and the. The abolition of slavery the right of the government under the war power by william lloyd garrison call number. Harriet jacobs, incidents in the life of a slave girl, written by herself 1861.
Slavery in the american south was a brutal institution involving the physical and psychological domination of black people who had been forcefully uprooted and transportedmainly from africato serve as laborers on american cotton and tobacco plantations. The last new world countries to abolish slavery were cuba and brazil, more than twenty years after slave emancipation in the united states. In the united states, the abolition movement faced much opposition. These will include facsimile reproductions of the original texts of a number of books as well as searchable text. Why slavery was so resilient and how people in latin america fought against it are the subjects of this compelling study.
Search for scholarly articles and books on slavery and abolition black studies center a multifaceted resource that includes. Testimony of a thousand witnesses kindle edition by theodore dwight weld. The horrors of slavery, 1805 a spotlight on a primary source by samuel wood originally circulated in 1805 to educate the public about the treatment of slaves, this broadside, entitled injured humanity, continues to inform twentyfirstcentury audiences of the true horrors of slavery. Firstperson accounts of american slave life appeared in print as early as 1760. Abolition, antislavery movements, and the rise of the sectional. The best books on race and slavery five books expert. The horrors of slavery, 1805 gilder lehrman institute of.
He talks us through five books on the tragedy of slavery from the horrors of the gulag, to the plantations of virginia, to the islamic slave trade. The slave narrative took on its classic form and tone between 1840 and 1860, when the romantic movement in american literature was in its most influential phase. The abolitionists christian history christianity today. The american anti slavery society elected officers and adopted a constitution and declaration. Twelve years a slave by solomon northup, the invention of wings by sue monk kidd, reconstruction.
How the abolitionist movement became a force in america. We are starting a new project for the american abolitionists website. But the struggle against slavery also inspired some of the finest values and politics in american history, from republican thaddeus stevens. Mathews has recently shown, this viewpoint was just as natural and consistent as was evangelical abolitionism. Testimony of a thousand witnesses is a book written by the american abolitionist theodore dwight weld, his wife angelina grimke. For slaves and their teachers, the exercise of reading and writing was a dangerous and illegal one. The constant reminder of the contradictions inherent in the system made slavery and the struggle for abolition part of america s social fabric. This list consists of more than 300 photographs, engravings, prints and paintings of antislavery activists. The tappan brothers and william lloyd garrison, who began publishing an abolitionist journal, the liberator, in 1831, were the principal organizers in dec. How history textbooks reflect americas refusal to reckon with slavery. Abolitionist literature, art, and poetry depicted the life of the slave and became a political tool which the moral suasionists used effectively to. The clear connection between slavery and american capitalism. They took slavery as a personal insult or affront, a stain upon their name. In most southern states, anyone caught teaching a slave to read would be fined, imprisoned, or whipped.
A few wrote slave narratives, which, when published, powerfully exposed the evils of slavery. Consequently, the northern public remained unwilling to adopt abolitionist policy and was distrustful of abolitionist. At the same time, quaker groups in america began working in earnest to abolish slavery in the united states. According to the national abolition hall of fame, when she was elected to the business committee at the annual meeting of the american anti slavery society in 1840, lewis tappan and other opponents walked out to found the american and foreign anti slavery. He was also a forceful advocate for libraries and free access to books, aid for southern blacks, and womens suffrage. Approximately sixtyfive american slave narratives were published in book or pamphlet form before 1865. The abolitionist movement in the united states of america was an effort to end slavery in a nation that valued personal freedom and believed all men are created equal. Contains several hundred pamphlets and books pertaining to slavery and antislavery in new england from 17251911. American imprints collection, rare book and special collections division, library of congress 31. Douglass had been born into slavery in 1818 on the eastern shore of maryland, and after successfully escaping in 1838, settled in new bedford, massachusetts. Through abolitionist efforts, popular opinion continued to mount against slavery, and in 1833 slavery itself was outlawed throughout the british empire at that time containing roughly onesixth of the worlds population rising to a quarter towards the end of the century. What 1619 has become to the history of american slavery, 1688 is to the history of american antislavery, the year that four german speaking quakers in the settlement of germantown, pennsylvania, raised what is generally regarded as the first written public protest against africanamerican slavery in the british colonies. Alcott, amos bronson, 17991888, abolitionist, educator, writer, philosopher, reformer.
The best books on race and slavery recommended by david olusoga. Drafted by william lloyd garrison, the declaration pledged its members to work for. These items include speeches, sermons, proceedings, and other publications from organizations such as the american anti slavery society, the american colonization society, and a small number of pro slavery tracts. List of books and articles about black abolitionism.
1466 1407 1331 52 1670 1010 9 1448 1107 1089 948 280 80 1034 886 807 905 1648 654 1050 1247 522 563 605 428 65 941 573 660