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Title: George T. Downing

Speaker or author: Downing, George T. (George Thomas), 1819-1903

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Brief speech denouncing the African Civilization Project. The speaker believed this was similar to the American Colonization Society project and just one more way of making money using African American labor.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 391 word document (text and images)

Subtitle: The Fourth of July, 1863.

Title: Pacific Appeal - July 4, 1863

Speaker or author: editor

Newspaper or publication: Pacific Appeal (1862 - 188?)

The writer reflects on the years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He includes an excerpt from the Scholar's Manual which provides insight into the drafting of this important document. He notes that African American men fought in 1776 to secure the freedom this document represents, but it's only now that they can truly celebrate their own freedom.

Description of file(s): one scanned, two columned, newspaper page

Title: William Cooper Nell

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

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Speech honoring the martyrdom of Crispus Attucks, the first person to die in the Revolutionary War of 1776. The speaker offered the patriotism of Attucks act that day as an example of an expression of loyalty and deep love of country that all African Americans are capable of demonstrating.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 407 word document (text and images)

Title: William H. Johnson

Speaker or author: Johnson, William Henry, 1833-1918.

Newspaper or publication: Presscopy -- Albany Institute of History and Art

The speaker traced the history of freedom in the U.S. during a July 4th celebration in Philadelphia. He emphasized the irony of continued slavery in a country founded on freedom and liberty for all.

Description of file(s): PDF 15 page, 5,184 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

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

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Speech given on the return of the speaker to the U.S. from England where he had been living as a fugitive from slavery. The speaker commended Great Britain for abolishing the slave trade and hoped that this action would inspire the U.S. to follow the same path.

Description of file(s): PDF 4 page, 1,124 word document (text and images)

Title: William Wells Brown

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

Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard

Overview of speech given upon the speaker's return to the U.S. from five years spent in England as a fugitive from slavery. Although the speaker was saddened by the continued efforts to enforce slavery in the U.S., he felt hopeful that complete abolition of slavery would soon be realized. (Includes MP3 audio file.) (Speech 15831 is a duplicate of this speech.)

Description of file(s): PDF 1 page, 216 word document (text and image)

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