Abolitionist Brooklyn (1828 – 1849)

…inst racism and slavery was firmly entrenched in the city of New York. But the city’s deep economic ties to the South made the situation volatile. In July 1834, the tension erupted. Mobs attacked black and white abolitionist homes and places of worship. They also targeted scores of ordinary black New Yorkers. In the immediate aftermath of these riots, white abolitionists sought to clarify they were radical activists but not anarchists. Two white…

Abolitionist Biographies

…sidents. Willis Hodges followed his brother William to New York and then Williamsburg. Dissatisfied with the occupations available to African American men in antebellum New York, the two brothers opened their own temperance grocery store at William’s home on South 8th Street. Willis then bought a lot on South 7th Street, where he built his own home. He co-founded the newspaper the Ram’s Horn with Manhattanite Thomas Van Rensellaer. He was introdu…

Civil War & Beyond (1861 – 1867)

…ion Army began allowing African American men to enlist for the first time. Despite receiving lower wages, poor supplies, and lesser chances for promotion than their white colleagues, these men demonstrated tremendous bravery to end slavery and be recognized as equal citizens of the United States. Lieutenant Peter Vogelsang. Copy photograph of a carte de visite, originally taken by unknown photographer, circa 1863-1865. From the 54th Massachusetts…

Crisis Decade (1850 – 1860)

…“foolish and red-hot fanatics”, with “angry voices.” Whitman did not condemn the institution of slavery in the south nor did he support political and legal equality for African Americans. But he did oppose the expansion of slavery in the West. When he expressed support for the Wilmot  Proviso, intended to bar slavery from territories acquired during the Mexican-American War, he was fired. Queen Sugar The Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP),…

Glossary

…s, and denounces colonization schemes. Antebellum The time period before the Civil War. Confederate States A group of united southern states that formed the Confederate States of America, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. These states voted to secede from the United States between 1860 and 1861. Draft A system for selecting individuals from a grou…

Timeline

…inst racism and slavery was firmly entrenched in the city of New York. But the city’s deep economic ties to the South made the situation volatile. In July 1834, the tension erupted. Mobs attacked black and white abolitionist homes and places of worship. They also targeted scores of ordinary black New Yorkers. In the immediate aftermath of these riots, white abolitionists sought to clarify they were radical activists but not anarchists. Two white…

A Gradual Emancipation (1783 – 1827)

…desire to be free and enslaved people found ways to resist their oppression. They were assisted by a small, but significant, free black community who resided in the town of Brooklyn. These pioneers represented the first wave of anti-slavery activists. Slaveholding Capital Life, History and Unparalleled Sufferings of John Jea, the African Preacher, 1811. Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Teacher’s Manual Section 1: Lesson 2 Th…