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Black Abolitionist Archive
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Title: Alexander Crummell

Speaker or author: Crummell, Alexander, 1819-1898

Newspaper or publication: Presscopy -- New York Public Library -- Schomburg Collection

Lengthy speech justifying the idea of colonization based on evangelization of Africa. The speaker believed that this was the divine duty of the Negro race since Africa was their spiritual home. The speaker presented a history of Africa and slavery to provide a basis for his reasoning.

Description of file(s): PDF 38 page, 11,220 word document (text and images)

Title: Charles L. Reason

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

Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard

Speech denouncing the plans and goals of the American Colonization Society. The speaker stressed that this idea is just a scheme to remove African Americans from the U.S.

Description of file(s): PDF 5 page, 1,221 word document (text and images)

Title: Charles Williamson

Speaker or author: Williamson, Charles, fl. 1852

Newspaper or publication: Presscopy -- Foner and Walker, Eds. -- Proceedings of the Black State Conventions 1840-1865, (1980) Vol. 2, pp. 42-49

Speech expressing an encouragement for free black citizens to colonize Africa. The speaker said he had traveled to various countries and no other country offered a better opportunity for freed slaves than Africa.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 326 word document (text and image)

Title: George T. Downing

Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard

Speech denouncing the goals of the American Colonization Society. The speaker stressed that America is home to the nominally free who are being encouraged to "evangelize" Africa, and therefore their rightful place to live is in the U.S.

Description of file(s): PDF 4 page, 1,045 word document (text and images)

Title: Henry W. Johnson

Speaker or author: Johnson, Henry W., abolitionist

Newspaper or publication: Frederick Douglass' Paper

Speech denouncing the motivation behind the American Colonization Society and the Fugitive Slave Bill. The speaker stressing the irony that the U.S. will welcome fleeing Hungarian refugees to its shores but does not provide a welcome to the refugees of slavery who already reside here.

Description of file(s): PDF 24 page, 2,934 word document (text and images)

Title: J. B. Smith

Speaker or author: Smith, J. B. (John B.), Rev., fl. 1852-1863

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Short anecdotal speech regarding one man's experience with slavery.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 149 word document (text and image)

Title: J. W. C. Pennington

Speaker or author: Pennington, James W. C.

Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard

Speech denouncing the plans and goals of the American Colonization Society. The speaker stressed that the Colonization Society in holding funds in trust for this project held too much power over a country said to be independent.

Description of file(s): PDF 5 page, 1,396 word document (text and images)

Title: J. W. C. Pennington

Speaker or author: Pennington, James W. C.

Newspaper or publication: Frederick Douglass' Paper

Overview of speech regarding the contributions of black Americans during the previous wars with England. The speaker said that they were told that England had made them slaves and to win the fight against England would be to win their right to freedom.

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

Title: James McCune Smith

Speaker or author: Smith, James McCune, 1813-1865

Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard

Brief speech denouncing the plans and goals of the American Colonization Society.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 328 word document (text and image)

Title: Samuel E. Cornish

Speaker or author: Cornish, Samuel E. (Samuel Eli), 1795?-1858

Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard

Speech denouncing the efforts of the Colonization Society. The speaker offered a balanced view in this stressing that the governor of the state was working with their best interests in mind, although he was misguided. He emphasized that the black population hated the white population for their efforts to remove people who by their presence offered a reminder of the guilt created by the institution of slavery. He believed, however, that any form of hate was wrong.

Description of file(s): PDF 8 page, 2,373 word document (text and images)

Title: William C. Nell

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

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Brief speech encouraging nominally free black citizens to exercise their right to vote. The speaker encouraged women to influence the men in their lives to vote. He noted that while women were still denied the right to vote, they had a voice through their use of influence.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 201 word document (text and image)

Title: William C. Nell

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

Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard

Brief speech denouncing colonization and the Fugitive Slave Law. The speaker noted that in the state of New York "...professor's chairs are filled by coloured men, who dispense the dew-drops of knowledge to a majority of white pupils; and, strange as it may sound to Colonisation ears, neither teachers or scholars are contaminated by the association."

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 158 word document (text and image)

Title: William F. Johnson

Speaker or author: Johnson, William F., fl. 1852

Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard

Short speech noting that while early Africas such as Memnor (who invented the first letters of the alphabet) and Euclid (mathematician) contributed to current knowledge, school children were not taught about their achievements because of their place of birth.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 91 word document (text and image)

Title: William G. Allen

Speaker or author: Allen, William G., fl. 1849-1853

Newspaper or publication: Frederick Douglass' Paper

Lengthy speech describing the various attributes and skills of a great orator, and the benefits of the freedom of public speaking in the U.S. The speaker believes oratory to be the greatest art of expression in a free country.

Description of file(s): PDF 36 page, 8,718 word document (text and images)

Title: William H. Topp

Speaker or author: Topp, William H., d. 1857

Newspaper or publication: Frederick Douglass' Paper

Short speech offered to nominate party delegates, and to adopt the presented resolution.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 121 word document (text and image)

Title: William Howard Day

Speaker or author: Day, William Howard, d. 1900

Newspaper or publication: Presscopy -- Boston University -- Starr Collection

Brief speech regarding the heroic accomplishments of black soldiers, and a request for recognition of these accomplishments by the white population. (Includes MP3 audio file)

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 596 word document (text and images)

Title: William J. Watkins

Speaker or author: Watkins, William J.

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Speech denouncing the plans and goals of the American Colonization Society. The speaker believes that the real objective of colonization is not the "professed love for the colored man," or a love for Africa, but to protect the institution of slavery in the U.S.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 334 word document (text and images)

Title: William J. Watkins

Speaker or author: Watkins, William J.

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Short speech calling for support of the Free Soil Party.

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 130 word document (text and image)

Title: William Wells Brown

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

Newspaper or publication: Non Conformist

Speech commemorating the emancipation of the British West Indies on August 1, 1834. The speaker noted the benefits of living in Britain for the formerly enslaved people of the U.S., and expressed his hope that slavery would end in that country as well. (Includes MP3 audio file.)

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 448 word document (text and images)

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