Abolitionist Movement Research Paper

The Abolitionist Movement that began in the 1830s changed America greatly. Being apart of the movement meant either using your way with words, like Frederick Douglass, to motivate others into joining, or personally helping slaves attain freedom, as did William Mitchell. The 1830s and on became a progressive time for all types of people. White men and women in the North started to team with African Americans, thus creating the Abolitionist Movement. People apart of the movement made it evident that change would happen in America and justice will be brought to those who don't receive it. After reading fellow abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison's newspaper, “The Liberator”, ex-slave, Frederick Douglass was inspired to join the anti-slavery
An illustration in “Gleason's Pictorial” shows a white abolitionist, Wendell Phillips making a speech at the Anti-Slavery Meeting on the Boston Common. Around him are men and women, both black and white, listening attentively. This illustration was one of the many tactics used to prove to the southern slave owners that more than just the African American community is interested in ending slavery. Henry Brown, a slave in the south, decided to take a more drastic route. In March of 1849, Brown escaped slavery by putting himself into a box and shipping himself north. Doing this was very risky and Brown knew that. An even more dangerous approach more African Americans were taking was to guide slaves to freedom using the underground railroad. William Mitchell traveled miles to lead groups of refugee slaves to safe houses. Mitchell risked everything by doing so. Due to the bad weather he could have gotten terribly sick. On top of the challenging conditions, Mitchell also faced the fear of being caught and being sent back to enslavement or even worse, murdered. These brave acts show just how serious the anti-slavery movement was to African Americans. Slaves and ex-slaves did whatever they could do to obtain and keep their