Speaker or author: Crummell, Alexander, 1819-1898
Newspaper or publication: New York Public Library -- Schomburg Collection
The speaker stressed the history, benefit, and continued need of missionary work in Africa. He emphasized the work of Jewish, Baptist, Episcopalian, Catholic, Evangelical, Presbyterian and Protestant missionaries.
Description of file(s): PDF 19 page, 5,354 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Moore, John Jamison, 1818-1893.
Newspaper or publication: Presscopy -- Harvard University, Cambridge -- Rare Books and Manuscripts
The speaker addressed the issue of suffrage for all African Americans. He expressed his belief that African Americans had earned their civil and equal rights through patriotism, patience, loyalty, and fighting for their country. He asked that they be given only what any American would claim as a U.S. citizen.
Description of file(s): PDF 7 page, 1,638 word document (text and images)
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)
Speaker or author: Martin, J. Sella (John Sella), b. 1832
Newspaper or publication: Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland Ohio -- Sella Martin Book
The speaker traced in detail the benefits and the drawbacks of raising cotton. He stressed the value of the crop itself and its positive influence on the American economy. He linked this with the work of slaves who had given their health and lives to produce it. The remainder of the speech stressed the predicament that the emancipation of the slaves placed on those involved with cotton production. He also emphasized that the Negro was not inferior to the white race and he offered several examples to prove this. He believed the future of the production of cotton and other crops was with science not with "brute" man power. The idea of inferiority of one race was not a sound argument for slavery. He argued for the right of all human beings to be free.
Description of file(s): PDF 13 page, 3,682 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Hall, W. H. (William Henry), fl. 1863-1864
Newspaper or publication: Presscopy -- Harvard University, Cambridge -- Rare Books and Manuscripts
Although California had entered the Union as a free state, the speaker joined those in the state government in questioning what social and political changes would take place nationally now that the Emancipation Proclamation had been delivered and the war was at an end.
Description of file(s): PDF 11 page, 2,632 word document (text and images)