Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 244
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4 image_5 image_6
Abolitionist Newspapers
Abolitionist Newspapers
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4 image_5 image_6
Description:

Abolitionism
New York, NY; Boston, MA, ca. 1837-1838, 1858
Abolitionist Newspapers
Newspaper
[ABOLITIONISTS.] Archive of Abolitionist Newspapers, 1837-1838, 1858, New York, NY, Boston, MA. 32 issues, 126 pp. Partially disbound; general toning; some staining; a few articles clipped out; some edge tears with minimal effect on text.

This rich and interesting archive of abolitionist newspapers from New York and Boston includes contemporary reports of the murder of abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy in Alton, Illinois, and many other essays, letters, speeches, and pieces of news about the antislavery movement. The issues of The Liberator from 1858 chronicle an antislavery celebration of Independence Day in Framingham, Massachusetts, and the speeches delivered there, among other topics.

Contents and Excerpts
The Emancipator, November 9, 16, 23, 30; December 7, 14, 28, 1837; January 11, 18, 25; February 1, 8, 15, 22; March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; April 5, 12, 19, 26; May 10 (first 2 pages only), 17, 24, 31; June 7, 1838. New York: R. G. Williams. 18" x 25.25".
- November 9, 1837: "The State of the South." "It is a truth then, from which no philanthropist or Christian has a right to turn away his eyes—that the moral sense of the southern people is not in sufficient exercise, to induce them to any extent to emancipate their slaves." (p1/c6)
- November 23, 1837 (black-bordered issue): "THE FIRST MARTYR HAS FALLEN, In the Holy Cause of Abolition! It is with the deepest emotions of horror we announce the murder of our esteemed brother, the Rev. ELIJAH LOVEJOY. He fell, on the night of the 7th instant, by a shot deliberately fired, from the midst of an armed and infuriated band of Americans, while lawfully engaged in defending this property, his press, against lawless violence, instigated by the spirit of American Slavery." (p3/c1)
- December 28, 1837: "TESTIMONIES OF THE SPIRIT OF SLAVERY. / We thought we had done with those solemn and highly important testimonies. But the manner in which they continue to crowd upon us from the public press evinces that there is just now nothing before the American mind so deeply interesting as the Alton Massacre." (p1/c2)
- January 18, 1838: "Emancipation and Enfranchisement. Abolitionists claim that the slaves ought to be immediately emancipated from slavery, and recognized as free citizens, under the full protection of the laws. The question as to the proper legal qualifications for voting in elections, is another affair-and all that the abolitionists, as such, insist upon, is, that wherever the colored people are found to possess the same qualifications that are required in other people, (be they what they may,) they should have the same political privileges with other people." (p2/c6)
- February 22, 1838: "The Emancipator is designed to communicate the proceedings, exhibit the views, and extend the principles of the American Anti-Slavery Society and its auxiliaries. At the present time, there is probably no institution whose operations are more important to be known by every American citizen. Combining the influence of probably two hundred thousand citizens, generally behind no others for moral worth and determined purpose, the Anti-Slavery Society will doubtless have a mighty influence for weal or woe." (p2/c6)
- March 15, 1838: "What Colonization is where it is. / The head-quarters of the Colonization Society are at Washington, the managers are mostly slaveholders, the presidents have all been slaveholders, the scheme originated among slaveholders in Virginia, the slaveholders who sustain and control it do not emancipate their own slaves." (p2/c6)
- April 19, 1838: "The Southern Convention. / The papers bring us the stupendous results of the second session of the grand Southern Commercial Convention at Augusta, in the shape of a ‘report' of the ‘committee of 21,' R. Y. Hayne chairman. The ‘report' occupies four columns of the Augusta Chronicle. It sets out with declaring the object of the convention, which is, to secure to the slaveholding states ‘that portion of the commerce of the country which rightfully belongs to them.' That is; it is designed to combine for a separate object those members of the union who are bound together by attachment to SLAVERY. It is alleged that these states furnish more than three-fourths of the domestic products exported by the nation, while they import from abroad scarcely one-tenth of the whole. This injurious state of things is ascribed chiefly to the unequal action of the federal government, in throwing the whole of the public burdens, in the shape of duties, upon foreign articles, and then expending almost the whole revenue at the North and West." (p2/c5)
- May 17, 1838: Marriage announcement of Theodore Dwight Weld to Angelina Emily Grimke at Philadelphia (p3/c6).
- June 7, 1838: "PHILADELPHIA. We cannot think of any other title to give this article. The deed is Philadelphia. We will call its name Philadelphia, until the city has effectually purged its character from the stain of this abomination." (p1/c1)
Hostile description of the destruction of Pennsylvania Hall in Philadelphia by an anti-abolitionist mob. "The fears expressed by so many citizens, from the date of the erection of the Pennsylvania Hall, have been too truly, and to the disgrace of our city, verified by the destruction of that building on Thursday evening last. It was formally opened at the beginning of the week by an address on Liberty.... The mixing up of the people of the two colors by their being seated promiscuously in the Hall, and their going to and returning from it in the same fashion, were not calculated to soothe the prejudices of the populace, nor to prevent any outbreaks endangering the public peace." (p1/c5)

The Liberator, May 28; July 2, 16; August 13, 1858. Boston: William Lloyd Garrison. 18.5" x 24.5".
- May 28, 1858: Speech of Thomas Wentworth Higginson to New York Anti-Slavery Society: "So, I say, there is a new element coming to settle the question of slavery, by-and-bye, on the soil where it exists. It cannot live forever. I see no sign of it. Is it destined, as it begun in blood, so to end? Seriously and solemnly, I say, it seems as if it were." (p2/c6-p3/c1)
- July 2, 1858: "The Anniversary of American Independence will be celebrated this year as usual, (under the direction of the Managers of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society,) on MONDAY, July 5th, by a MASS MEETING of the friends of Universal Emancipation, at the beautiful Grove in FRAMINGHAM." (p2/c3)
- July 16, 1858: Various speeches from "Anti-Slavery Celebration of Independence Day" at Framingham Grove, including that of escaped former slave William Wells Brown: "This is the Anniversary of our National Independence. Just consider that a sixth portion of the American people are this day clanking the chains of slavery. The bells upon the churches at the South are today chiming in concert with the bells of the slave-auction." (p1/c5)
- August 13, 1858: "Exhibition of Southern Idiocy. / Fourth of July among the Slaves. A Negro Orator ‘Rebuking Abolitionism.' Colonel Scott permitted his negroes to hold a Fourth of July carnival, to which we had the pleasure of an invitation.... Big Nathan, a fine-looking man, with excellent sense, was called upon for a speech, and he responded in genuine African eloquence. It was decidedly patriotic, and every word came welling from the heart in the earnestness and fervency of an untaught, unrestrained, overfull nature. He was particularly and peculiarly alive to his obligations to Mr. and Mrs. Scott for their uniform kindness to himself and his ‘fellow servants'.... The orator did not know much about politics, but he took a very bold position in favor of his master and the ladies of color, and the excellence of his corn crop.... After dealing some heavy blows at abolitionism, he concluded with some original poetry, amid the clatter of dishes and gabble of voices. After dinner was over, Burrell, an invited guest, came forward at the solicitation of the crowd, and made a very sensible talk. We were pleased with his ideas of slavery. He thought he was much ‘better off' than either the free negroes or the poor white people of the North. He was happier, had more and better things to eat, &c., &c. Abraham succeeded him in pretty much the style of Big Nathan. All in all, the occasion was one of rebuke to abolitionism, and practical comment upon Southern slavery, such as a whole book would fail to properly represent.—Auburn [Athens] (Ga.) Gazette." (p1/c2-3)

The Emancipator (1833-1850) was a weekly newspaper, published in New York City by the American Anti-Slavery Society to advance the organization's anti-slavery agenda. Robert G. Williams was the publishing agent, and Joshua Leavitt (1794-1873) was the editor. In a nationally publicized incident, an Alabama grand jury in October 1835 indicted Williams for "circulating seditious pamphlets in Alabama...tending to excite our slave population to insurrection and murder." The Alabama governor demanded the extradition of Williams, a demand the New York governor refused. In 1840, when the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society separated from the American Anti-Slavery Society, the Liberty Party became the publisher of the newspaper for the next decade, with Leavitt serving as editor until 1848. In 1844, the publication moved its headquarters to Boston, where Hiram Cummings and then future Vice President of the United States Henry Wilson became the publisher. Theodore Dwight Weld and John Greenleaf Whittier served different short periods as editor of the newspaper.

The Liberator (1831-1865) was founded as an abolitionist weekly newspaper in Boston by William Lloyd Garrison and Isaac Knapp. With a motto of "No Union with Slaveholders," The Liberator took an uncompromisingly abolitionist stance. Garrison included pieces by African American reporters and columnists like Frederick Douglass. The Liberator also advocated voting and other rights for women. Believing the newspaper's role was fulfilled with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in December 1865, Garrison published a valedictory message and ceased publication, succeeded by The Nation, a weekly news magazine that is still published today.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

  • Dimensions: 18" x 25.5"; 18.5" x 24.5"
  • Medium: Newspaper

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

March 12, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000