John Brown Puts His Accusers on Trial
In 1859 John Brown went on trial for the raid on Harpers Ferry. The raid itself had failed, but Brown successfully brought attention his cause.
What Was the Dred Scott Decision?
In 1857 the Supreme Court ruled against Dred Scott, a slave who sought freedom via the courts. With the ruling the Court radically altered not just the battle over slavery, but the status of every black person in America.
Slavery and the Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American war (1846-1848) changed the slavery debate. It almost doubled the size of the United States and began a debate, between Northerners and Southerners, over what to do with the newly acquired land.
Frederick Douglass Writes His Autobiography
In his 1845 book, Frederick Douglass told the truth about his life as a slave, despite the risk.
Map History With Us!
Map history with American Experience! You can relive the history of the abolitionist movement on American Experience's Mapping History iPhone app and explore places central to the nation's anti-slavery effort. Dozens of museums, institutions and PBS stations have partnered with American Experience to bring you archival images, documents and videos related to abolitionism.
Attack at Harpers Ferry
In 1859 John Brown seized a federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, but failed to incite a revolution. Authorities found a link between Brown and Frederick Douglass.
John Brown Gathers His Arsenal
John Brown put little stock in the idea of abolition through peaceful means. In 1855, he gathered his arsenal and left his home for the slave state of Kansas where he would begin his bloody struggle.
Defying the Fugitive Slave Law
A wave of resistance to slavery led to the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law, which imposed the rule of Slave states onto Free states.
The Book that Made the War
Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852 and changed American opinions on slavery. Uncle Tom's Cabin reached a vast audience, and made millions of Americans see slavery, for the first time, through the eyes of its victims.
Frederick Douglass, Pacifism, and Abolitionism
By 1850, Frederick Douglass begins to doubt that a peaceful end to slavery is possible, putting him in opposition to white abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison.
Bearing Witness: American Slavery As It Is
The 1839 book 'American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses', written by Theodore Weld, his wife Angelina Grimke, and her sister Sarah Grimke, documented slavery's horrors.
A Radical Wedding and a Violent Response
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.
Women's Voices in the Abolitionist Movement
The Grimke sisters, Angelina and Sarah, lectured against slavery throughout the 1830s, even though they were condemned by many for speaking out as women.
Violence Against Abolitionists
Abolitionists, including Lewis Tappan and William Lloyd Garrison, were surprised by the vehement reaction to their 1835 postal anti-slavery campaign.
A Viral Campaign against Slavery
In 1835, abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and Lewis Tappan proposed a a bold plan to spread their anti-slavery message throughout the United States.
The Economics of Slavery
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?
Frederick Douglass Reacts
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."
The Massachusetts 54th
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.
A Eulogy to the Movement
At the death of William Lloyd Garrison in 1879, Frederick Douglass offers a eulogy to the abolitionists and to the movement itself.
Fugitive Slave Act
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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