Influential Reformists

William Lloyd Garrison:

William Lloyd Garrison was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts on December 12, 1905. By the time he reached his teens, Garrison wrote for his local newspaper and soon after became the co-editor of the Genius of Universal Emancipation newspaper. Garrison began to fervently oppose slavery, quickly becoming one of the most radical abolitionists of his time. Throughout his time as a reformist, Garrison committed to executing such radical acts as burning the Constitution in response to a claim that it supported slavery. Such acts led him to be imprisioned for libel, caused the state of Georgia to offer a $5000 reward for his arrest, and inspire many supporters of slavery to give him numerous death threats. Garrison’s imprisionment fueled his opposition to slavery. He criticized The Genius of Universal Emancipation’s laxadasical stance on gradual abolition. Instead Garrison began to advocate for the “immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves.” Garrison then established his own anti-slavery newspaper – The Liberator – whose motto was "Our country is the world - our countrymen are mankind." Although only 3000 copies were circulated, The Liberator earned Garrison the reputation of the leading radical abolitionist. In 1832, Garrison started the Anti-Slavery society which later began to embrace issues such as women’s suffrrage, pacifism and tempracne. After the 13^th Amendment was passed, Garrison stoped publishing The Liberator but continued to advocated for women’s suffrage, pacifism and temprance until his death on May 24^th, 1879.

Wendell Phillips:

Wendell Philips was born in Boston, Massachusetts on November 29^th 1811. As a young lawyer, Phillips was inspired by the work of William Lloyd Garrison. At the age of 24 Phillips witnessed a white mob attempt to lynch Garrison after he gave a speech at the Female Anti-Slavery Society in 1835. Phillips then began to work with Garrison, giving up law in order to fight for the immediate freedom of slaves. Under Garrion’s lead, Phillips began to write anti-slavery pamphlets and columns in The Liberator asserting that the Constitution and the politics bolstering slavery were morally corrupt. Phillips joined the Anti-Slavery Society and quickly became the Society’s most prized speaker. In 1865 Phillips replaced Garrison as President of the Society, and after the 15^th Amendment was passed he contunied to work for women’s suffrage, pacifism and termprance.

Sarah Grimke:

Sarah Grimke was born on November 26^th 1792 to a slaveholding judge in Charleston, South Carolina. From living in the South and witnessing the unjust nature of slavery firsthand, Sarah and her sister Angelina moved to Philadelphia and began to advocate for the abolition of slavery. After publishing an anti-slavery pamphlet entitled An Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States, the officials in South Carolina exiled the sister promising arrest if they were to return home. Grimke became one of the first women to speak against slavery for the Anti-Slavery Society, earning the loyal support of William Lloyd Garrison in her endeavors. Some abolitionists condemned Grimke for speaking for taking an active public stance because she was disobeying her role as a woman. Enraged, Grimke began to advocate for women’s rights, aligning them with the rights of slaves.