The Liberator
Encyclopedia
The Liberator was an abolitionist
newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison
in 1831. Garrison published weekly issues of The Liberator from Boston continuously for 35 years, from January 1, 1831, to the final issue of January 1, 1866. Although its circulation was only about 3,000, and three-quarters of subscribers were African American
s in 1834, the newspaper earned nationwide notoriety for its uncompromising advocacy of "immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves" in the United States
. Garrison set the tone for the paper in his famous open letter "To the Public" in the first issue.
The Liberator faced harsh resistance from several state legislatures and local groups: for example, North Carolina
indicted Garrison for felonious
acts, and the Vigilance Association of Columbia, South Carolina
, offered a reward
of $1,500 ($25,957.20 in 2005 dollars
) to those who identified distributors of the paper.
The Liberator continued for three decades from its founding through the end of the American Civil War
. Garrison ended the newspaper's run with a valedictory column at the end of 1865, when the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment
abolished slavery throughout the United States.
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He is best known as the editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and as one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society, he promoted "immediate emancipation" of slaves in the United...
in 1831. Garrison published weekly issues of The Liberator from Boston continuously for 35 years, from January 1, 1831, to the final issue of January 1, 1866. Although its circulation was only about 3,000, and three-quarters of subscribers were African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s in 1834, the newspaper earned nationwide notoriety for its uncompromising advocacy of "immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves" in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Garrison set the tone for the paper in his famous open letter "To the Public" in the first issue.
The Liberator faced harsh resistance from several state legislatures and local groups: for example, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
indicted Garrison for felonious
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
acts, and the Vigilance Association of Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, offered a reward
Bounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
of $1,500 ($25,957.20 in 2005 dollars
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) to those who identified distributors of the paper.
The Liberator continued for three decades from its founding through the end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Garrison ended the newspaper's run with a valedictory column at the end of 1865, when the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution officially abolished and continues to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, passed by the House on January 31, 1865, and adopted on December 6, 1865. On...
abolished slavery throughout the United States.
Articles
All of the following articles were written by Garrison.- "To the Public", Garrison's introductory column for The Liberator, January 1, 1831.
- "Truisms", January 8, 1831.
- "Walker's Appeal", January 8, 1831.
- "The Insurrection", Garrison's reaction to the news of Nat Turner's slave rebellion in VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, September 3, 1831. - "On the Constitution and the Union", December 29, 1832.
- "Declaration of Sentiments", adopted by the Boston Peace Convention September 18, 1838, reprinted in The Liberator, September 28, 1838.
- "Abolition at the Ballot Box", June 28, 1839.
- "The American Union", January 10, 1845.
- "The Tragedy at Harper's Ferry", Garrison's first public comments on John BrownJohn Brown (abolitionist)John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
's raid on Harpers FerryHarpers Ferry, West VirginiaHarpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. In many books the town is called "Harper's Ferry" with an apostrophe....
, October 28, 1859. - "John Brown and the Principle of Nonresistance", the transcript of a speech given for a meeting in the Tremont TempleTremont TempleThe Tremont Temple on 88 Tremont Street is a Baptist church in Boston, affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, USA. The existing structure opened in May 1896 and was designed by architect Clarence Blackall.-History:...
, Boston, on December 2, 1859, the day that John Brown was hanged, printed December 16, 1859. - "The War_Its Cause and Cure",69 May 3, 1861.
- "Valedictory: The Final Number of The Liberator", Garrison's closing column for The Liberator, December 29, 1865.