Black Abolitionist Archive

Title: William Wells Brown

Speaker or author: Brown, William Wells, 1814?-1884

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Advocate

Anecdoatal speech regarding the speaker's encounter with the Reverend Dr. Richard Fuller, a slaveholding minister from South Carolina. The speaker emphasized the kindness and courtesy he had received from Dr. and Mrs. Fuller during his visit. (Includes MP3 audio file.)

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 609 word document (text and images)

Title: John Sella Martin

Speaker or author: Martin, J. Sella (John Sella), b. 1832

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Advocate

Brief speech praising the work of William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, and John Brown. The speaker said that just because there is no news of discontent from the slaves in the South does not mean that they are happy with their situation.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 134 word document (text and image)

Title: William Wells Brown

Speaker or author: Brown, William Wells, 1814?-1884

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Bugle

Speech regarding the influence of religion and the Church in the continuation of slavery. The speaker noted that "The teaching of religion has always favored slavery," and he noted two theologians who had publicly taught that "...God ordained the institution (of slavery)."

Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 859 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

Speaker or author: Brown, William Wells, 1814?-1884

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Bugle

The speaker addressed the issues of slave trading and "slave raising," and stressed that the acceptance of these had been passed down from generation to generation. As a mulatto, he believed he offered a type of bridge between races. He related a story of the kindness shown to him in Massachusetts that he hadn't known before, but stressed that this bit of kindness had not stopped him from working to end slavery.

Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 878 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

Speaker or author: Brown, William Wells, 1814?-1884

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Bugle

The speaker emphasized the prejudice that had come about as a result of slavery. He noted that the prejudice of the times was based on race, not color, and this related directly to slavery, not appearance.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 353 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

Speaker or author: Brown, William Wells, 1814?-1884

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Bugle

The speaker asked for all present to agree that the government had become a conspiracy against freedom. He read an excerpt from a southern newspaper demonstrating the fear of emancipated slaves that the southern states held, and that they used to continue slavery there. He expressed that recent government legislation was compelling those who were fighting for emancipation to take a more radical approach.

Description of file(s): PDF 5 page, 1,438 word document (text and images)

Title: John J. Gaines

Speaker or author: Gaines, John J.

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Bugle

Speech describing the effects of prejudice in the U.S. on living arrangements and education.

Description of file(s): PDF 4 page, 872 word document (text and images)

Title: John Mercer Langston

Speaker or author: Langston, John Mercer, 1829-1897.

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Bugle

Speech regarding the inhumanity of slavery, emphasizing the government backing the institution of slavery receives that keeps it strongly in place.

Description of file(s): PDF 4 page, 973 word document (text and images)

Title: John Mercer Langston

Speaker or author: Langston, John Mercer, 1829-1897.

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Bugle

Brief speech discounting the Democratic party's pro-slavery stance and the laws that had resulted from its influence.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 491 word document (text and images)

Title: John Mercer Langston

Speaker or author: Langston, John Mercer, 1829-1897.

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Bugle

The speaker stressed that where there is one person legally enslaved in the U.S., there is no liberty for anyone. Slavery makes slaves of us all. When a government encourages slavery, it evokes a need to control the slaves. This requires laws which limit freedom for everyone. The speaker offered examples to substantiate his ideas.

Description of file(s): PDF 12 page, 3,349 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

Speaker or author: Brown, William Wells, 1814?-1884

Newspaper or publication: Bristol Mercury

Anecdotal speech given before a meeting on American slavery held in Bristol, England. The speaker recounted his own escape to freedom and stories of others who had done the same. He spoke of the horrors and injustices of slavery, and stressed the importance of the support of the British people in the abolition of slavery in the U.S.

Description of file(s): PDF 5 page, 1,626 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

Speaker or author: Brown, William Wells, 1814?-1884

Newspaper or publication: Bristol Times

Anecdotal speech given before a meeting on American slavery held in Bristol, England. The speaker recounted stories from his life and the lives of others who had experienced the cruelties of slavery. He spoke of the injustices of slavery, and stressed the importance of the support of the British people in the abolition of slavery in the U.S. (Includes MP3 audio file.)

Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 995 word document (text and images)

Title: John Andrew Jackson

Speaker or author: Jackson, John Andrew

Newspaper or publication: Christian News

Anecdotal speech regarding one man's experience with slavery. The speaker was presenting his story and the story of one other slave in hopes of raising enough money to purchase his father's and sister's freedom.

Description of file(s): PDF 4 page, 1,024 word document (text and images)

Title: Jabez Pitt Campbell

Speaker or author: Campbell, Jabez Pitt (1854-1858)

Newspaper or publication: Christian Recorder (1852 - 1856)

Overview of speech tracing the causes of the Civil War and the continuing opportunity for error, injustice, and restricted freedom. The speaker emphasized the role of political action in encouraging the events that led to the Civil War.

Description of file(s): PDF 9 page, 2,254 word document (text and images)

Title: John Peck

Speaker or author: Peck, John, of Pittsburgh

Newspaper or publication: Christian Recorder (1852 - 1856)

Brief speech in which the speaker stressed unity of purpose and a coordinated effort among white as well as black citizens to reach the goals of equality, moral elevation, and racial harmony.

Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 564 word document (text and images)

Title: John Sweat Rock

Speaker or author: Rock, John S. (John Sweat), 1825-1866

Newspaper or publication: Christian Recorder (1852 - 1856)

Brief overview of a speech regarding the refusal of the government to arm and accept as soldiers African Americans during the Civil War. This situation would alter as the war neared its end.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 440 word document (text and images)

Title: John Mercer Langston

Speaker or author: Langston, John Mercer, 1829-1897.

Newspaper or publication: Elevator

Impassioned speech in which the speaker emphasized that along with freedom, African Americans were entitled to all the privileges of citizenship including suffrage, legal, social and political rights. Denying a citizen these rights on the basis of color was illogical, irrational, and uncivilized.

Description of file(s): PDF 10 page, 2,101 word document (text and images)

Title: John Mercer Langston

Speaker or author: Langston, John Mercer, 1829-1897.

Newspaper or publication: Elevator (Incomplete)

Eloquent speech regarding the positive changes the speaker could already see as a result of the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of the slaves. The speaker stressed, however, that more changes were needed before racial equality could be realized.

Description of file(s): PDF 5 page, 1,141 word document (text and images)

Title: Henry Box Brown

Speaker or author: Brown, Henry Box, b. 1816

Newspaper or publication: Emancipator

Narrative regarding one man's daring escape from slavery by having himself shipped in a crate from Richmond, Virginia, to Philadelphia and freedom.

Description of file(s): PDF 4 page, 933 word document (text and images)

Title: John N. Lewis

Speaker or author: Lewis, John N.

Newspaper or publication: Emancipator

Speech regarding the irony of missionary work in Africa by men who are slaves in the U.S. and not allowed to read the Bible. Emphasis is placed on the question of civil rights in the U.S.

Description of file(s): PDF 6 page, 1,278 word document (text and images)