Black Abolitionist Archive

Title: Hezekiah Ford Douglass

Speaker or author: Douglass, H. Ford

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Bugle

Expressive and dramatic speech regarding the continuation of American slavery long after the British had emancipated the West Indies. The speaker emphasized the historical movements of humanity towards freedom and liberty that he believed would always triumph.

Description of file(s): PDF 12 page, 2,857 word document (text and images)

Title: Henry Highland Garnet

Speaker or author: Garnet, Henry Highland, 1815-1882

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Reporter

Brief speech denouncing the Fugitive Slave Bill. The speaker also encouraged his audience to buy "free-labor" goods instead of those produced by slave labor.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 436 word document (image and text)

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: Henry Highland Garnet

Speaker or author: Garnet, Henry Highland, 1815-1882

Newspaper or publication: British Friend

Speaker expressed his appreciation for all the kindness he and his fellow travelers had received in England and Germany.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 195 word document (text and image)

Title: J. W. C. Pennington

Speaker or author: Pennington, James W. C.

Newspaper or publication: Christian News

Review of a speech calling for unconditional emancipation of slaves in the U.S. in similar fashion to the way slaves were freed in Egypt. The speaker disagreed with the idea of financial compensation of the slaveholders for each freed slave.

Description of file(s): PDF 4 page, 1,100 word document (text and images)

Title: J. W. C. Pennington

Speaker or author: Pennington, James W. C.

Newspaper or publication: Christian News

Speech regarding the ongoing debate about whether slaves are content with their lives. The speaker was responding to another speaker who expressed his belief that the "social condition" of U.S. slaves was positive and offered an example of their general contentment.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 368 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

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

Newspaper or publication: Gateshead Observer

Brief overview of speech regarding the history of slavery from its introduction to the current anti-slavery movement.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 260 word document (text and image)

Title: Henry Highland Garnet

Speaker or author: Garnet, Henry Highland, 1815-1882

Newspaper or publication: Gateshead Observer

Brief speech given in England in which the speaker encouraged his audience to purchase and use only free-labor produced goods and boycott slave-labor produced goods. He emphasized that boycotting slave-produced goods would aid in the fight towards emancipation of the slaves in the U.S.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 226 word document (text and image)

Title: Henry Highland Garnet

Speaker or author: Garnet, Henry Highland, 1815-1882

Newspaper or publication: Gateshead Observer

Passionate speech regarding the suffering of human beings under slavery in the U.S. The speaker emphasized the abuses and injustices inflicted upon "... as many human beings held in bondage in the United States as there were inhabitants...in all Scotland."

Description of file(s): PDF 5 page, 1,246 word document (text and images)

Title: Henry Highland Garnet

Speaker or author: Garnet, Henry Highland, 1815-1882

Newspaper or publication: Gateshead Observer

Speech delivered in England encouraging the "...consumption of free-labour in preference to slave-labour products." The speaker explained the current designation the U.S. uses of either slave-holding or non-slave-holding when bringing new states into the union.

Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 863 word document (text and images)

Title: J. W. C. Pennington

Speaker or author: Pennington, James W. C.

Newspaper or publication: Gateshead Observer

Speech delivered in England encouraging the "...consumption of free-labour in preference to slave-labour products."

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 109 word document (text and image)

Title: J. W. C. Pennington

Speaker or author: Pennington, James W. C.

Newspaper or publication: Gloucester Journal

Synopsis of the speaker's life experience that follows him from his birth into slavery to his successful career in the clergy and his accomplishments in his work for abolition.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 413 word document (text and images)

Title: Charles Reason

Speaker or author: Reason, Charles Lewis, 1818-1893

Newspaper or publication: Impartial Citizen

Brief speech by Charles Reason, professor at New York Central College describing the college and the area surrounding its location.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 179 word document (text and images)

Title: James Hamlet

Speaker or author: Hamlet, James

Newspaper or publication: Impatial Citizen

Anecdotal speech regarding the speaker's experiences with being unjustly arrested and sold into slavery in accordance with the Fugitive Slave Bill. The speaker (who's proper name is James Hamilton Williams) gave his address during a meeting celebrating his return to freedom.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 341 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

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

Newspaper or publication: Inquirer

Speech given during a farewell soiree for William Wells Brown on his departure from England. He discussed the fugitive slave laws in the U.S., along with the general injustice of the existence of slavery in a country founded on freedom.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 142 word document (text and image)

Title: J. W. C. Pennington

Speaker or author: Pennington, James W. C.

Newspaper or publication: Kelso Chronicle

Speech regarding the injustices of the Fugitive Slave Law. The speaker read a warrant for the return of one fugitive slave that offered a reward of $125 for his safe return or $150 for the return of his "head."

Description of file(s): PDF 8 page, 2,526 word document (text and images)

Title: Henry Bibb

Speaker or author: Bibb, Henry, b. 1815

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Speech denouncing Daniel Webster's position on slavery and his recent speech regarding fugitive slaves. (Includes MP3 audio file.)

Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 669 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

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

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Overview of speech delivered in London regarding the political condition of the question of slavery in the U.S. The speaker condemned the recent political actions of Daniel Webster and emphasized that life without liberty is not worth living.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 565 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

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

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Speech denouncing the Fugitive Slave Bill emphasizing the penalities placed on those who help fugitive slaves and, the cruelties the bill allows to be placed on those who are captured using it.

Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 656 word document (text and images)