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Title: John Sella Martin

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

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Sermon delivered during a celebration of the anniversary of the emancipation of the British West Indies. The speaker emphasized the error in moral judgment made by a country that condoned laws like the Fugitive Slave Law. He compared the plight of the slaves in the U.S. with that of slaves in ancient Egypt. He noted that the poor whites were not treated any better than the slaves were regardless of their skin color. The war for freedom was, to the speaker, a holy war for human liberty.

Description of file(s): PDF 15 page, 4,523 word document (text and images)

Title: Robert Purvis

Speaker or author: Purvis, Robert, 1810-1898

Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Advocate

The speaker expressed his doubts that the present government would ever abolish slavery since they refused to allow African Americans to become soldiers. He also pointed out that the Dred Scott decision demonstrated the government's true position on the idea of emancipation.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 269 word document (text and image)

Title: William Cooper Nell

Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Speech given celebrating the Emancipation Proclamation and honoring those who fought for this glorious event. The speaker acknowledged the contributions of African American heroes of the Civil War, the American Revolution, and the long struggle for emancipation.

Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 760 word document (text and images)

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