Explore
2025 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Shortlist, 2025 Élise Marienstras – RéDEHJA Prize How children helped abolish slavery During the antebellum period, several abolitionist figures, including William Lloyd Garrison, the editor of the Liberator; Susan Paul, an African American primary school teacher; Henry Clarke Wright, a white reformer; and Frederick Douglass, the internationally renowned activist, consistently appealed to the sympathies of children against slavery. In 1835, Garrison proclaimed, “If . . . we desire to see our land delivered from the curse of PREJUDICE and SLAVERY, we must direct our efforts chiefly to the rising generation.” This rallying cry found a receptive audience and ignited action. Despite their limited scholarly exploration, children occupied a crucial position within the US abolition movement. Through a reexamination of archival materials including antislavery newspapers, correspondence, and autobiographies, Young Abolitionists is the first book to center children’s participation in the campaign to eradicate slavery in the United States. Michaël Roy uncovers how young advocates—Black and white alike—confidently delivered antislavery speeches within their schools, enrolled in juvenile antislavery societies, and contributed to the editorial process of antislavery newspapers. They aided fugitive slaves, attended antislavery fairs, and engaged in activities commemorating John Brown’s legacy. They even affixed their signatures to antislavery petitions, thus challenging the boundaries of their own citizenship. Abolitionists saw childhood as a force for social change. With the help of parents and teachers, children acted in concrete ways against slavery and made a meaningful contribution toward its demise. Young Abolitionists honors their contributions and reminds us that children can—and must—be included in the fight for a better world.
This book is included in DOAB.
Why read this book? Have your say.
You must be logged in to comment.
Rights Information
Are you the author or publisher of this work? If so, you can claim it as yours by registering as an Unglue.it rights holder.Downloads
This work has been downloaded 0 times via unglue.it ebook links.
- 0 - pdf (CC BY-NC) at OAPEN Library.
Keywords
- Abolition and children
- Abolitionist children
- African American primary school
- Antislavery
- Antislavery and children
- Charles Remond Douglass
- Francis Jackson Garrison
- Frederick Douglass
- Henry Clarke Wright
- History of Antislavery activism
- History of Children's Literature
- History of youth activism
- Lillie Chace
- Sarah Parker Remond
- Susan Paul
- thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBS Social groups, communities and identities::JBSP Age groups and generations::JBSP1 Age groups: children
- thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHT History: specific events and topics::NHTS Slavery and abolition of slavery
- Underground Railroad and children
- William Lloyd Garrison
- Youth Abolitionism
- Youth Abolitionists
- Youth activism
Links
DOI: 10.18574/nyu/9781479830121.001.0001Editions