Speaker or author: Pennington, James W. C.
Newspaper or publication: Presscopy -- Connecticut Historical Society -- Pamphlets
The speaker approached the subject of emancipation on the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the British West Indies. He traced the history of emancipation from the 1700's, and emphasized through example the clever ways some slave holders continued the system without calling it slavery.
Description of file(s): PDF 16 page, 4,467 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)
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Title: Weekly Anglo-African - October 5, 1861
Speaker or author: editor
Newspaper or publication: Weekly Anglo-African (1859 - 1862)
The writer discusses the prevalent racial prejudice in the country. While he believes slavery can be abolished, he views prejudice as something that will always be a part of the U. S. social structure.
Description of file(s): two scanned newspaper pages (three columns)
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)