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A Radical Wedding and a Violent Response

2m 59s
In the spring of 1838, abolitionists Theodore Weld and Angelina Grimke wed in a "scandalous" ceremony, one unlike any other before seen. As news of the wedding spread, racial tensions in the city of Philadelphia reached a boiling point.
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The Economics of Slavery

1m 46s
In the late 1820s there were 2 million men, women, and children living in bondage in the United States. What was the economic value of slavery to 19th century American life?
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Frederick Douglass Reacts

2m 59s
In 1833, Frederick Douglass was sent to a slave breaker to be beaten back into submission. After six months of beatings, Douglass fought back. "I was nothing before. I was a man now."
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The Massachusetts 54th

2m 52s
With the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the war merged with the abolitionist cause. The Proclamation had included an unexpected clause: at last, black men could enlist in the armed services of the United States.
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Fugitive Slave Act

2m 19s
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 made the hunting down of escaped slaves, even in free states, fully legal. To abolitionists, this represented a huge blow to their efforts. Not only had the federal government endorsed slavery, but it had also committed to preserving the institution indefinitely.
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Garrison Introduces Douglass

2m 16s
William Lloyd Garrison speaks to a crowd of abolitionists in Nantucket, Massachusetts. He introduces the self-emancipated Frederick Douglass, soon leading to a powerful partnership with a common cause -- immediate abolition of slavery.
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Angelina Grimke Goes Public

2m 59s
After reading reports of pro-slavery violence, Angelina Grimke decided she could remain silent no longer. She published a letter in "The Liberator" and wrote "An Appeal to the Women of the South," urging them to work for the downfall of slavery.
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Burning Abolitionist Literature

1m 58s
The Anti-Slavery Society's great postal campaign of 1835 flooded the South with abolitionist literature. Instead of bringing about the end of slavery, it triggered a wave of repression. In Charleston, SC, 3,000 people gathered in Post Office square to destroy anti-slavery materials and burn Garrison in effigy.
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Angelina Grimke Rebels

2m 59s
The daughter of one of South Carolina's first families, Angelina Grimke lived in luxury. But she also believed slavery was a sin and God would punish people who had slaves.
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Garrison Publishes "The Liberator"

2m 21s
William Lloyd Garrison published the first issue of "The Liberator" on January 1, 1831 with financial support from both black and white abolitionists. "There shall be no neutrals," he declared. "Men shall either like or dislike me."
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Angelina Leaves Home

1m 37s
In the fall of 1829, Angelina Grimke resolved to leave Charleston and the pollutions of slavery, for an uncertain future in the North
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Harriet Beecher Stowe Visits a Slave State

2m 21s
Having recently moved to Cincinnati with her family, Harriet Beecher visited the slave state of Kentucky in 1833, staying here at the Marshall Key House. While in Kentucky, she witnessed slavery up close for the first time. The house now operates as the Harriet Beecher Stowe, Slavery to Freedom Museum.
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