Abolitionism: A Very Short Introduction

The abolitionist movement, which began in the 18th and 19th centuries, was a crucial catalyst for the global human rights struggle and redefined equality throughout the Atlantic world. It remains a touchstone of democratic activism in the 21st century, with Frederick Douglass describing it as a grand army of activists whose labors would cast a long shadow over American history. This introduction highlights key people, institutions, and events that shaped the antislavery struggle between the American Revolutionary and Civil War eras, and emphasizes the significance of early abolitionist lawsuits, the Haitian Revolution, and women's increasingly prominent role as abolitionist editors, organizers, and orators.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 176 pages
\n Publication date: 06 September 2018
\n Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
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The abolitionist movement, which took off in the 18th and 19th centuries, ignited a worldwide struggle for human rights and fundamentally altered the concept of equality across the Atlantic world. Even in the modern day, it serves as a guiding light for democratic activism, a timeless illustration of organizing in the face of injustice. As renowned black abolitionist Frederick Douglass observed in the 1890s, the antislavery struggle comprised a vast army of activists whose efforts would leave a lasting imprint on American history. This introduction to the abolitionist movement, penned by African American and abolition expert Richard Newman, sheds light on the pivotal figures, institutions, and events that shaped the antislavery struggle between the American Revolutionary and Civil War eras, as well as the major themes that guide scholarly interpretations of this pivotal historical movement.

From the early days of abolitionist activism in the Anglo-American world and the impact of slave revolutions on antislavery reformers to the rise of black pamphleteers and the emergence of antislavery women before the Civil War, the study of the abolitionist movement has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Where scholars once primarily focused on radical (white) abolitionists along the Atlantic seaboard in the years leading up to the Civil War, they now understand abolitionism through a diverse array of activists across time and space. While this book will explore the lives and legacies of famous antislavery figures such as William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass, it will also emphasize the significance of early abolitionist lawsuits, the impact of the Haitian Revolution on both black and white abolitionists in the United States, and the growing role of women as abolitionist editors, organizers, and orators. By drawing on the rich insights of contemporary scholarship, this book aims to provide a comprehensive and engaging account of the abolitionist movement, its impact on American history, and its ongoing relevance in the fight for social justice and equality.

\n Weight: 134g\n
Dimension: 111 x 173 x 10 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780190213220\n \n