418

1816American ColonizationSociety is formed

1822First African Americanssettle in Liberia

1831William Lloyd Garrisonfounds The Liberator

1847Liberia becomes an independent country

CHAPTER 14 The Age of Reform

William Lloyd Garrison, a dramatic and spirited man, fought strongly for the right ofAfrican Americans to be free. On one occasion Garrison was present when FrederickDouglass, an African American who had escaped from slavery, spoke to a white audi-ence about life as a slave. Douglass electrified his listeners with a powerful speech. Suddenly Garrison leaped to his feet. “Is this a man,” he demanded of the audience,“or a thing?” Garrison shared Douglass’s outrage at the notion that people could bebought and sold like objects.

Early Efforts to End SlaveryThe spirit of reform that swept the United States in the early 1800s was not

limited to improving education and expanding the arts. It also included theefforts of abolitionists like Garrison and Douglass—members of the growingband of reformers who worked to abolish, or end, slavery.

Even before the American Revolution, some Americans had tried to limit orend slavery. At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the delegates hadreached a compromise on the difficult issue, agreeing to let each state decidewhether to allow slavery. By the early 1800s, Northern states had ended slavery,but it continued in the South.

Main IdeaMany reformers turned their attentionto eliminating slavery.

Key Termsabolitionist, Underground Railroad

Reading StrategyOrganizing Information As you readSection 2, identify five abolitionists.Below each name, write a sentencedescribing his or her role in themovement.

Read to Learn• how some Americans worked to

eliminate slavery.• why many Americans feared the

end of slavery.

Section ThemeIndividual Action Leaders such asHarriet Tubman and William LloydGarrison strengthened the abolitionistmovement.

The Abolitionists

William Lloyd Garrison

Abolitionists

Preview of Events

Guide to Reading

✦1815 ✦1845✦1830 ✦1860

The religious revival and the reform move-ment of the early and mid-1800s gave new life tothe antislavery movement. Many Americanscame to believe that slavery was wrong. Yet notall Northerners shared this view. The conflictover slavery continued to build.

Many of the men and women who led theantislavery movement came from the Quakerfaith. One Quaker, Benjamin Lundy, wrote:

“I heard the wail of the captive. I felt his pangof distress, and the iron entered my soul.”

Lundy founded a newspaper in 1821 tospread the abolitionist message.

American Colonization SocietyThe first large-scale antislavery effort was not

aimed at abolishing slavery but at resettlingAfrican Americans in Africa or the Caribbean.The American Colonization Society, formed in1816 by a group of white Virginians, worked tofree enslaved workers gradually by buyingthem from slaveholders and sending themabroad to start new lives.

The society raised enough money from privatedonors, Congress, and a few state legislatures tosend several groups of African Americans out ofthe country. Some went to the westcoast of Africa, where the society hadacquired land for a colony. In 1822 thefirst African American settlers arrivedin this colony, called Liberia, Latin for“place of freedom.”

In 1847 Liberia became an inde-pendent country. American emigra-tion to Liberia continued until theCivil War. Some 12,000 to 20,000African Americans settled in the newcountry between 1822 and 1865.

The American Colonization Soci-ety did not halt the growth of slavery.The number of enslaved people con-tinued to increase at a steady pace,and the society could only resettle asmall number of African Americans.Furthermore, most African Ameri-cans did not want to go to Africa.Many were from families that had

lived in America for several generations. Theysimply wanted to be free in American society.African Americans feared that the society aimedto strengthen slavery.

Explaining How did the AmericanColonization Society fight slavery?

The Movement ChangesReformers realized that the gradual approach

to ending slavery had failed. Moreover, the num-bers of enslaved persons had sharply increasedbecause the cotton boom in the Deep South madeplanters increasingly dependent on slave labor.Beginning in about 1830, the American antislav-ery movement took on new life. Soon it becamethe most pressing social issue for reformers.

William Lloyd GarrisonAbolitionist William Lloyd Garrison stimu-

lated the growth of the antislavery movement.In 1829 Garrison left Massachusetts to work forthe country’s leading antislavery newspaper inBaltimore. Impatient with the paper’s moderateposition, Garrison returned to Boston in 1831 tofound his own newspaper, The Liberator.

“ I looked at my hands to see if I was the same

person now that I was

free . . . I felt like I was

in heaven.”—Harriet Tubman, on her escape from

slavery, 1849

419

420

Is American Slavery Compassionate or Cruel?

More than any other factor, slavery isolated the South from the restof the United States. While abolitionists cried out to bring the cruelpractice to an end, Southern slaveholders defended the only way oflife they knew.

Sojourner Truth, former slave, 1851

Look at me! Look at my arm! I have

ploughed, and planted, and gathered into

barns, and no man could head me! . . .

I could work as much and eat as much as

a man—when I could get it—and bear

the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman?

I have borne thirteen children,

and seen them most all sold off

to slavery, and when I cried

out with my mother’s grief,

none but Jesus heard me!

And ain’t I a woman?

Jeremiah Jeter, Southern slaveholder, c. 1820I could not free them, for the laws of the State forbadeit. Yet even if they had not forbidden it, the slaves in mypossession were in no condition to support themselves. Itwas simple cruelty to free a mother with dependent chil-dren. Observation, too, had satisfied me that the freenegroes were, in general, in a worse condition than theslaves. The manumission [setting free] of my slaves toremain in the State was not to be thought of. Should Isend them to Liberia? Some of them were in a conditionto go, but none of them desired to. If sent, they [would] beforced to leave wives and

children belonging toother masters [onnearby plantations], todwell in a strange land.

Learning From History1. Why do you think Sojourner Truth

was an effective speaker?2. Why didn’t Jeremiah Jeter just free

his slaves?3. Do the two excerpts contradict each

other? In what way?

Sojourner Truth

Garrison was one of the first white abolitionists to call for the “immediateand complete emancipation [freeing]”of enslaved people. Promising to be“as harsh as truth, and as uncompro-mising as justice,” he denounced theslow, gradual approach of otherreformers. In the first issue of hispaper he wrote: “I will not retreat asingle inch—AND I WILL BE HEARD.”

Garrison was heard. He attractedenough followers to start the NewEngland Antislavery Society in 1832and the American Antislavery Soci-ety the next year. The abolitionistmovement grew rapidly. By 1838 theantislavery societies Garrison startedhad more than 1,000 chapters, orlocal branches.

The Grimké SistersAmong the first women who

spoke out publicly against slaverywere Sarah and Angelina Grimké.Born in South Carolina to a wealthyslaveholding family, the sistersmoved to Philadelphia in 1832.

In the North the Grimké sisterslectured and wrote against slavery.At one antislavery meeting, AngelinaGrimké exclaimed,

“As a Southerner, I feel that it ismy duty to stand up . . . against slav-ery. I have seen it! I have seen it!”

The Grimkés persuaded theirmother to give them their share ofthe family inheritance. Instead ofmoney or land, the sisters asked forseveral of the enslaved workers,whom they immediately freed.

Angelina Grimké and her hus-band, abolitionist Theodore Weld,wrote American Slavery As It Is in1839. This collection of firsthandaccounts of life under slavery wasone of the most influential abolition-ist publications of its time.

421CHAPTER 14 The Age of Reform

African American AbolitionistsAlthough white abolitionists drew public

attention to the cause, African Americans them-selves played a major role in the abolitionistmovement from the start. The abolition of slav-ery was an especially important goal to the freeAfrican Americans of the North.

Most African Americans in the North lived inpoverty in cities. Although they were excludedfrom most jobs and were often attacked by whitemobs, a great many of these African Americanswere intensely proud of their freedom andwanted to help those who were still enslaved.

African Americans took an active part inorganizing and directing the American Antislav-ery Society, and they subscribed in large num-bers to William Lloyd Garrison’s The Liberator. In1827 Samuel Cornish and John Russwurmstarted the country’s first African Americannewspaper, Freedom’s Journal. Most of the othernewspapers that African Americans foundedbefore the Civil War also promoted abolition.

Born a free man in North Carolina, writerDavid Walker of Boston published an impas-sioned argument against slavery, challengingAfrican Americans to rebel and overthrow slav-ery by force. “America is more our country thanit is the whites’—we have enriched it with ourblood and tears,” he wrote.

In 1830 free African American leaders heldtheir first convention in Philadelphia. Delegatesmet “to devise ways and means for the betteringof our condition.” They discussed starting anAfrican American college and encouraging freeAfrican Americans to emigrate to Canada.

Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass, the most widely known

African American abolitionist, was bornenslaved in Maryland. After teaching himself toread and write, he escaped from slavery inMaryland in 1838 and settled first in Massachu-setts and then in New York.

As a runaway, Douglass could have been cap-tured and returned to slavery. Still, he joined theMassachusetts Antislavery Society and traveledwidely to address abolitionist meetings. A pow-erful speaker, Douglass often moved listeners to

tears with his message.At an IndependenceDay gathering he toldthe audience:

“What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day thatreveals to him, more than all other days in theyear, the gross injustice and cruelty to whichhe is the constant victim. To him, your celebra-tion is a sham . . . your national greatness,swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing areempty and heartless . . . your shouts of libertyand equality, hollow mockery.”

For 16 years, Douglass edited an antislaverynewspaper called the North Star. Douglass wonadmiration as a powerful and influentialspeaker and writer. He traveled abroad, speak-ing to huge antislavery audiences in Londonand the West Indies.

Douglass returned to the United States becausehe believed abolitionists must fight slavery at itssource. He insisted that African Americansreceive not just their freedom but full equalitywith whites as well. In 1847 friends helpedDouglass purchase his freedom from the slave-holder from whom he had fled in Maryland.

Sojourner Truth“I was born a slave in Ulster County, New

York,” Isabella Baumfree began when she toldher story to audiences. Called “Belle,” she livedin the cellar of a slaveholder’s house. Sheescaped in 1826 and gained official freedom in1827 when New York banned slavery. She even-tually settled in New York City.

In 1843 Belle chose a new name. “SojournerTruth is my name,” she said, “because from thisday I will walk in the light of [God’s] truth.” Shebegan to work in the movements for abolition-ism and for women’s rights.

Explaining Why did Frederick Douglass return to the United States?

HISTORYStudent Web ActivityVisit and click on Chapter 14—Student Web Activitiesfor an activity on the aboli-tionist movement.

tarvol1.glencoe.com

The Underground RailroadSome abolitionists risked prison—even death

—by secretly helping African Americans escapefrom slavery. The network of escape routes fromthe South to the North came to be called theUnderground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad had no trains ortracks. Instead, passengers on this “railroad”traveled through the night, often on foot, andwent north—guided by the North Star. The run-away slaves followed rivers and mountainchains, or felt for moss growing on the northside of trees.

Songs such as “Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd”encouraged runaways on their way to freedom.A hollowed-out gourd was used to dip water fordrinking. Its shape resembled the Big Dipper,which pointed to the North Star.

“When the river ends in between two hills,Follow the drinkin’ gourd,For the Ole Man’s waitin’ for to carry you

to freedom.Follow the drinkin’ gourd.”

During the day passengers rested at “sta-tions”—barns, attics, church basements, or otherplaces where fugitives could rest, eat, and hideuntil the next night’s journey. The railroad’s“conductors” were whites and African Ameri-cans who helped guide the escaping slaves tofreedom in the North.

In the early days, many people made the jour-ney north on foot. Later they traveled in wagons,sometimes equipped with secret compartments.African Americans on the Underground Rail-road hoped to settle in a free state in the North

422 CHAPTER 14 The Age of Reform

The Underground

RailroadThe Underground Railroad was neither

“underground” nor a “railroad.” It was asecret organization to help African Ameri-cans escape from slavery. The escape ofHenry Brown is one of the most remark-able stories in the history of the Under-ground Railroad.

Henry Brown Henry “Box” Brownescaped slavery by having himself sealedinto a small box and shipped from Rich-mond to Philadelphia. Although “this sideup” was marked on the crate, he spent agood part of the trip upside down. Whennews of his escape spread, he wrote anautobiography and spoke to many anti-slavery groups.

After his wife and chil-dren were sold to a slaveholder

in another state, Brown wasdetermined to escape.

Twenty-six hours later,the top of the crate was pried

off and Brown emerged,a free man.

Another man transportedthe crate, with Brown in it,to a shipping company inRichmond, Virginia.

“It all seemed a comparativelylight price to pay for liberty.”—Henry “Box” Brown From there, the crate was

sent to the PhiladelphiaAnti-Slavery Office.

423CHAPTER 14 The Age of Reform

or to move on to Canada. Once in the North,however, fugitives still feared capture. HenryBibb, a runaway who reached Ohio, arrived at“the place where I was directed to call on anAbolitionist, but I made no stop: so great weremy fears of being pursued.”

After her escape from slavery, Harriet Tub-man became the most famous conductor on theUnderground Railroad. Slaveholders offered alarge reward for Tubman’s capture or death.

The Underground Railroad helped only atiny fraction of the enslaved population. Mostwho used it as a route to freedom came fromthe states located between the northern states

and the Deep South. Still, the UndergroundRailroad gave hope to those who suffered inslavery. It also provided abolitionists with away to help some enslaved people to freedom.

Clashes Over AbolitionismThe antislavery movement led to an intense

reaction against abolitionism. Southern slave-holders—and many Southerners who did nothave slaves—opposed abolitionism becausethey believed it threatened the South’s way oflife, which depended on enslaved labor. Manypeople in the North also opposed the abolition-ist movement.

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“I sometimes dream thatI am pursued, and when

I wake, I am scaredalmost to death.”

—Nancy Howard, 1855

The Underground Railroad

UndergroundRailroad routesSlaveholding regionsNon-slaveholding regions

Many enslaved African Americans escaped to freedom with thehelp of the Underground Railroad.1. Movement Which river did enslaved persons cross

before reaching Indiana and Ohio?2. Analyzing Information About how many miles did

an enslaved person travel from Montgomery, Alabama, toWindsor, Canada?

MotionIn

Checking for Understanding1. Key Terms Write a short paragraph

in which you use these key terms:abolitionist, Underground Rail-road.

2. Reviewing Facts Describe the Amer-ican Colonization Society’s solutionto slavery.

Reviewing Themes3. Individual Action What role did

Harriet Tubman play in the antislaverymovement?

Critical Thinking4. Comparing Compare the arguments

of Northerners with Southerners whoopposed abolitionism.

5. Organizing Information Use a dia-gram like the one below to identifyactions that abolitionists took to freeenslaved people.

Analyzing Visuals6. Geography Skills Study the map of

the Underground Railroad on page423. Why do you think moreenslaved people escaped from theborder states than from the DeepSouth?

Opposition in the NorthEven in the North, abolitionists never num-

bered more than a small fraction of the popula-tion. Many Northerners saw the antislaverymovement as a threat to the nation’s socialorder. They feared the abolitionists could bringon a destructive war between the North and theSouth. They also claimed that, if the enslavedAfrican Americans were freed, they could neverblend into American society.

Economic fears further fed the backlashagainst abolitionism. Northern workers worriedthat freed slaves would flood the North and takejobs away from whites by agreeing to work forlower pay.

Opposition to abolitionism sometimes eruptedinto violence against the abolitionists themselves.In the 1830s a Philadelphia mob burned the city’santislavery headquarters to the ground and setoff a bloody race riot. In Boston a mob attackedabolitionist William Lloyd Garrison and threat-ened to hang him. Authorities saved his life bylocking him in jail.

Elijah Lovejoy was not so lucky. Lovejoyedited an abolitionist newspaper in Illinois.Three times angry whites invaded his officesand wrecked his presses. Each time Lovejoyinstalled new presses and resumed publication.The fourth time the mob set fire to the building.When Lovejoy came out of the blazing building,he was shot and killed.

The South ReactsSoutherners fought abolitionism by mounting

arguments in defense of slavery. They claimedthat slavery was essential to the South. Slavelabor, they said, had allowed Southern whites toreach a high level of culture.

Southerners also argued that they treatedenslaved people well. Some Southerners arguedthat Northern workers were worse off thanslaves. The industrial economy of the Northemployed factory workers for long hours at lowwages. These jobs were repetitious and oftendangerous, and Northern workers had to pay fortheir goods from their small earnings. Unlike the“wage slavery” of the North, Southerners saidthat the system of slavery provided food, cloth-ing, and medical care to the workers.

Other defenses of slavery were based onracism. Many whites believed that AfricanAmericans were better off under white care thanon their own. “Providence has placed [the slave]in our hands for his own good,” declared oneSouthern governor.

The conflict between proslavery and antislav-ery groups continued to mount. At the sametime, a new women’s rights movement wasgrowing, and many leading abolitionists wereinvolved in that movement as well.

Explaining Why did many North-erners oppose the abolition of slavery?

424 CHAPTER 14 The Age of Reform

Informative Writing Research thelife of an abolitionist. Write a one-page biography that describesimportant events in his or her life.

Freeing of enslaved people

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