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Subtitle: What are we Doing?

Title: Frederick Douglass' Paper - February 2, 1855

Speaker or author: Watkins, William J.

Newspaper or publication: Frederick Douglass' Paper (1851 - 18??)

The writer encourages his readers to be patient regarding the inevitable end of slavery. But patience is not a matter of simply waiting for something to happen. It is instead a way of looking for opportunities towards action. He assures them that freedom that is fought for is sweeter than freedom that is "bestowed upon us."

Description of file(s): two scanned newspaper pages (three columns)

Title: J. E. Green

Speaker or author: Green, J. E., of Michigan

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Overview of a brief speech in which the speaker noted the emancipation of slaves in other countries based on their patriotism and willingness to fight for their countries. He compared this to the withholding of freedom from African Americans who had fought bravely for the U. S.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 456 word document (text and images)

Title: John Mercer Langston

Speaker or author: Langston, John Mercer, 1829-1897.

Newspaper or publication: Nashville Times and True Union

Speech delivered before a mixed race audience in the House of Representatives. The speaker stressed his hope for a brighter future for the former slaves. He spoke of the injustice suffered by slaves over the years since slavery was first established in the U.S. He paid special attention to the contributions and sacrifices that African Americans had made to the country, and his hope for future racial harmony.

Description of file(s): PDF 9 page, 2,243 word document (text and images)

Title: Robert Morris

Speaker or author: Morris, Robert, 1823-1882

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Speech given after presentation of a portrait of John T. Hilton was given to the Masonic Lodge. The speaker stressed that while this was "...our first effort to transmit to posterity a portrait of any of our public men...", he regretted that portraits of other African American heroes had not been included in this effort.

Description of file(s): PDF 4 page, 1,095 word document (text and images)

Title: Robert Purvis

Speaker or author: Purvis, Robert, 1810-1898

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Speech denouncing governmental bias towards prejudical action in the U.S., the colonization of Africa, and the overall injustices that continue to be suffred by African Americans. The speaker emphasized the Dred Scott decision and the establishment of the Fugitive Slave Law.

Description of file(s): PDF 14 page, 3,959 word document (text and images)

Subtitle: Mr. Horace Greeley's Dislikes.

Title: Weekly Anglo-African - March 19, 1860

Speaker or author: editor

Newspaper or publication: Weekly Anglo-African (1859 - 1862)

The writer offers commentary on Horace Greeley's recent editorial in the New York Tribune in which he expresses his hatred for people of African descent. The writer points out that if Mr. Greeley feels this way then he must also hate all the progress the country has made. Without the help of those he has come to hate, this would not have been possible.

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

Subtitle: Arming the Slaves.

Title: Weekly Anglo-African - March 23, 1861

Speaker or author: editor

Newspaper or publication: Weekly Anglo-African (1859 - 1862)

The writer comments on the current fear of arming the slaves as the country approaches war.

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 offering a brief biography of the life of Crispus Attucks and his martyrdom at the Boston Massacre in 1770. The speaker included a letter by the grandson of Samuel Maverick, Attucks' master.

Description of file(s): PDF 5 page, 1,312 word document (text and images)

Title: William Cooper Nell

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

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Speech delivered at a commemoration of the death of Crispus Attucks, the first man killed at the beginning of the American Revolution. The speaker expressed his views about the causes of the current civil war and his beliefs in a positive resolution to the fighting.

Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 674 word document (text and images)

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 Cooper Nell

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

Newspaper or publication: Liberator

Speech commemorating the March 5th death of Crispus Attucks, a day that African Americans had long celebrated. This celebration had been merged with the July 4th celebration, but the speaker asked his audience to remember the sacrifices of black war heroes on this day.

Description of file(s): PDF 2 page, 314 word document (text and images)

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)

Title: William Henry Hall

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)

Title: William Henry Hall

Speaker or author: Hall, W. H. (William Henry), fl. 1863-1864

Newspaper or publication: Pacific Appeal

Eloquent speech praising Abraham Lincoln for emancipating the slaves. The speaker stressed that though the history of the U. S. had been fraught with an irrational oppression regarding human freedom, the government is now finally acting reasonably and rationally.

Description of file(s): PDF 17 page, 3,748 word document (text and images)

Title: William J. Watkins

Speaker or author: Watkins, William J.

Newspaper or publication: Presscopy -- Harvard University -- Widener Library -- Anti-Slavery Pamphlets

Speech given before a legislative committee to request the formation of an independent militia of black citizens. The speaker gave a detailed account of his request and logical reasoning for granting it.

Description of file(s): PDF 21 page, 8,061 word document (text and images)

Title: William P. Powell

Speaker or author: Powell, William P.

Newspaper or publication: National Anti-Slavery Standard

Overview of speech offered in protest of the Fugitive Slave Bill that was contributing to the kidnapping of nominally free black citizens of New York. Emphasis was placed on the recent experience in this regard of James Hamlet, who escaped after being kidnapped to be sold into slavery. (Speech 10897 is a duplicate of this speech.)

Description of file(s): PDF 3 page, 768 word document (text and images)

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