Speaker or author: Augustus William Hanson
Newspaper or publication: Colored American (1837 - 1842)
Rambling speech regarding the inherent rights of human beings in a free society regardless of race.
Description of file(s): PDF 13 page, 3,785 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Johnson, Ezra R.
Newspaper or publication: Pacific Appeal
Speech given to praise and honor Mrs. George M. Washum for her donation of money, time and effort to the First Congregational Church.
Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 453 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Johnson, Ezra R.
Newspaper or publication: Pacific Appeal
Speech encouraging patience in the fight for emancipation and emphasizing the speaker's belief that it wouldn't be long before President Lincoln would abolish slavery nationwide.
Description of file(s): PDF 6 page, 1,200 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Johnson, Ezra R.
Newspaper or publication: Pacific Appeal
Patriotic speech regarding the pride the speaker felt towards the black troops who were fighting and dying for their country in the Civil War. He was most impressed with how well they were received and celebrated for their heroism by the general population.
Description of file(s): PDF 11 page, 2,386 word document (text and images)
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)
Speaker or author: Johnson, Henry W., abolitionist
Newspaper or publication: North Star
Speech delivered during a celebration of the August 1st emancipation of the British West Indies. The speaker stresses the plight of those still enslaved in this country but is encouraged by events that he sees must lead the U.S. to emancipation.
Description of file(s): PDF 24 page, 5,038 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Johnson, Mr., fl. 1837
Newspaper or publication: Presscopy -- Boston Public Library -- Anti-Slavery Pamphlets -- 5th Annual Report, 1837
First hand account of one man's experience with slavery.
Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 1,410 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Butler, Mrs. William H.
Newspaper or publication: Weekly Anglo-African (1859 - 1862)
Short speech in which the speaker encourages the members of the Clinton Lyceum to live in harmony and peace as the Civil War continues on around them. (Includes MP3 audio file.)
Description of file(s): MP3 spoken word audio recording
Speaker or author: Davis, William A., fl. 1862-1864
Newspaper or publication: Liberator
The speaker emphasized that while it seemed as if slavery was coming to an end, the work for civil rights for African Americans was just beginning. (Includes MP3 audio file)
Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 282 word document
Speaker or author: Tyson, William A.
Newspaper or publication: North Star
Brief speech regarding the government's stance on fugitive slaves, and its idea of continuing slavery as it assigned slave holding status to newly formed states.
Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 212 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Jackson, William Andrew, b. 1832
Newspaper or publication: Anti-Slavery Advocate
Brief overview of speech by the coachman of Jefferson Davis (who had recently escaped and settled in England) describing his experience with slavery. (See duplicate speech 26152.)
Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 301 word document (text and image)
Speaker or author: Jackson, William Andrew, b. 1832
Newspaper or publication: Liberator
Brief overview of a speech by the former coachman of Jefferson Davis expressing his opinion about how to include the southern states into the union after the Civil War.
Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 325 word document (text and image)
Speaker or author: Jackson, William Andrew, b. 1832
Newspaper or publication: Sheffield Daily Telegram
Narrative speech regarding the speaker's life and experience as slave to Jefferson Davis. After his escape from Davis, the speaker provided information to Union troops which helped him secure passage to New York and freedom.
Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 366 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.
Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard
Speech encouraging education and emphasizing the benefits of knowledge as a way toward the social and moral improvement in the lives of the free people of color. The speaker also encouraged the development of societies which would unite people and help them realize these goals.
Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 865 word document (text and images)
spe.pdf.jpg "View item details")
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)
Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.
Newspaper or publication: Liberator
Speech given on the anniversary of British emancipation of the West Indies with a comparison of this act to the continuation of slavery in the U.S.
Description of file(s): PDF 5 page, 1,504 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.
Newspaper or publication: Liberator
Speech delivered during the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the First Independent Baptist Female Society and the church where their meetings were held. The speaker gave an overview of the history of the church and parish, and the accomplishments of the organization.
Description of file(s): PDF 6 page, 1,493 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.
Newspaper or publication: Liberator
Speech given at Marlboro Chapel to commemorate the arrival in Boston from England of William Lloyd Garrison and N. P. Rogers. An invitation for the event was issued reading: "all abolitionists of Boston and vicinity, irrespective of complexion, respectfully requested to unite in this public reception of our esteemed friends and co-adjutors in the cause of universal emancipation."
Description of file(s): PDF one page, 203 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.
Newspaper or publication: Liberator
Brief speech given during the dedication of a grove set aside for church services. The speaker emphasized that the Church had become, by its refusal to aid in the anti-slavery movement, an implied supporter of slavery.
Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 157 word document (text and image)
Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.
Newspaper or publication: North Star
Brief overview of a speech stressing the potential for the moral and intellectual "elevation" of the African American people.
Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 163 word document (text and image)
Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.
Newspaper or publication: Liberator
Speech given in response to a speech by Daniel Webster in which he called for the surrender of fugitive slaves and encouraged the colonization of Africa by "nominally free" African Americans living in the north.
Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 756 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.
Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard
Speech delivered during the acceptance of a gold watch presented to the speaker in honor of his work for equal rights in education. The speaker included his own experiences with the color barrier in education along with the stories of others who had fought for equal educational rights.
Description of file(s): PDF 10 page, 3,079 word document (text and images)
spe.pdf.jpg "View item details")
Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.
Newspaper or publication: Liberator
Speech delivered to welcome home William Wells Brown who returned from England a free man after being rescued from slavery and fugitive status by "British philanthropy."
Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 570 word document (text and images)
Speaker or author: Nell, William C. (William Cooper), 1816-1874.
Newspaper or publication: Liberator
Speech given during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. The speaker emphasized the great work and efforts the society has realized over the years.
Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 489 word document (text and images)
spe.pdf.jpg "View item details")
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)