Priansh Shah

Mr. Cuneo

US History I Honors

27th March 2015

Recommending William Lloyd Garrison

To the Board of Admissions of the Ever-Prestigious University of the Unites States,

The abolitionist movement is characterized by their determined nature and unremitting willpower. Their cause – the abolishing of slavery – was a challenging one to enact and saw its goal through more than two decades and a civil war. William Lloyd Garrison was an extensively influential leader in the abolition movement, publishing The Liberator, a notoriously uncompromising newspaper. He also held the National Anti-Slavery Convention and organized the American Anti-Slavery Society, a national organization dedicated to abolition. Garrison also gave countless speeches and published several writings that demonstrated not only his views but symbolized the unremitting will of his cause. Garrison’s extreme success as an abolitionist and an advocate for reform is symbolized through his actions as he is able to carry out his teachings, and his dedication to his cause and to reform makes him an exemplary candidate for the prestigious University of the United States.

Garrison is most widely known for his famous newspaper, The Liberator, an undying abolitionist newspaper urging for immediate and complete abolition. Although Garrison’s views were met with vitriolic criticism, his newspaper conveyed beliefs and ideals to the entire country. Nearly every abolitionist and reformer spoke to Garrison for help in reaching out to a broader audience, making The Liberator a highly diverse and detailed publication (Chapman). His dedication and detailed analysis of every single abolitionist society and action created a device that would respond to the smallest pin drop of anti-slavery. This provided the kindling to the fire of abolition. The Liberator is most famously known for its first issue, Volume I Number I, in which he writes that he will not retreat, unremittingly declaring his position in this movement (The Liberator). The Liberator helped establish Anti-Slavery Societies and add a concrete foundation to the movement. He also cedes that although emancipation may be preferable to most in a gradual manner, he must act in the present and urge his cause nonetheless (The Liberator). His determined nature here fueled his success with abolition and the success of countless others who gained a voice through his newspaper. Using moral suasion, Garrison is able to urge for emancipation and give abolition a loudspeaker to address the nation. The Liberator gave Garrison an audience of the entire world, embodying his success.

Garrison was the President of the American Anti-Slavery Society, a prominent organization that became the center of the abolitionist reform movement, from 1843 onwards (Chapman). This organization is also responsible for holding the National Anti-Slavery Convention, a massive gathering of abolitionists from all over the nation. In Garrison’s famous writing, the Declaration of Sentiments of the National Anti-Slavery Convention, he takes a radical standpoint that laws admitting slavery are immoral and unjust, strongly against the self-evident truths from the Declaration of Independence, and are therefore null and void, as emancipation is the true will of God (Wallcut). His willingness to not back down and moral techniques made him famous as one of the most influential abolitionists. Although this point may be radical at the time, his execution of his philosophies makes him a determined individual who was eventually successful in raising support for his reform movement. Garrison became successful due to his hard work and determination, as well as his ability to see the moral right and help spread his message.

Although Garrison’s actions speak for themselves, his words are often studied as influential works that use moral strategies to appeal to the audience. In his address at Park Street Church in 1829, Garrison declares slavery an evil, an immoral sin, and calls on the Church to take a stance for abolition (Garrison). His moral suasion here is notable, as he condemns slavery and rallies many to his cause in the name of religion. His ability to morally influence his audience is characteristic of his success. Additionally, in his Thoughts on African colonization, Garrison attacks colonization and the slave trade as injurious and immoral (Garrison). This further develops his moral argument and his system of moral persuasion. His belief was that slavery was against the will of God, and his drive to abolish it and to convince others to abolish it was the key to his success. Garrison’s influential writings and speeches will be remembered as some of the most influential works of the movement.

Reform is often considered an unreachable goal, one that can never be attained. Garrison, however, unremittingly pushes for abolition, causing a massive movement for emancipation. Notably, he burned the Constitution and condemned federal law allowing slavery, declaring that as a sin, slavery must not be allowed to fester any longer (Chapman). His radicalness is often criticized, but this attitude of his is what drove him to success; the ability to advocate even an extreme cause makes him an exemplary choice. His work on The Liberator characterizes his drive for success and also developed a medium for countless reformists, even aside from abolitionists, to voice their opinions and, most importantly, be heard. As the President of the National Anti-Slavery Society, he helped rally people to their cause, forming an immense movement that saw its cause be reached with Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. His speeches and writings characterize him as an influential figure in the movement for abolition. Altogether, his actions and influence alike make him a faultless choice for this university.

Works Cited

Chapman, John Jay.William Lloyd Garrison. Boston: Atlantic Monthly, 1921. Print.

Garrison, William Lloyd. "The Dangers of Slavery."The Dangers of Slavery. EBSCOhost, 2009. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=21212980&site=src-live>.

Garrison, William Lloyd. "The Liberator: Our Country Is the World—Our Countrymen Are Mankind."The Liberator (Archives). Fair Use Repository, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2015. <http://fair-use.org/the-liberator/>.

Garrison, William Lloyd.Thoughts on African Colonization. New York: Arno, 1968. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://www.munseys.com/diskeight/afno.pdf>.

Wallcut, R.F. "Transcription of DECLARATION OF SENTIMENTS OF THE AMERICAN ANTI-SLAVERY CONVENTION."Selections from the Writings of W. L. Garrison. University of Virginia, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/abolitn/abeswlgct.html>.