freedom | Digital Special Collections

Tag Archives: freedom

Colonization March 2016

Colonization is the process by which one power dominates another. This can be the way a more powerful country takes control of another, but it’s also the way one culture seeks to control another by usurping the established cultural civilization of another. This has happened time and again since human beings migrated out of Africa — as they defeated tribes and gained territories, as they morphed languages and destroyed religions, they also changed their own culture. Societies have evolved by snuffing out the weaker cultures, and taking control of their languages, their rituals, the details of their social structures that made the conquered culture unique....

Black Abolitionist Archive abolition, African Americans, archive, black abolitionist, black history, emancipation, freedom, history, slavery Linda Papa Updated: February 17, 2016

Travelogue 1863 March 2016

During the years of African-American Newspaper publication in the 1800s, articles would often appear regarding travel across the new territory that was opening up in the western part of the country thanks to the discovery of gold in 1848. It seemed everyone was anxious to take advantage of free land and wide open spaces. When reporter George W. Turley made his way west in 1863, the Homestead Act offering free land to anyone who would agree to farm the land...

Black Abolitionist Archive abolition, African Americans, black abolitionist, black history, education, freedom, history, newspaper, publication Linda Papa Updated: March 10, 2016

William Still February 2016

William Still (1821-1902) has been called an “unsung hero” of the Black Abolitionist movement. And while I believe that not too many people have heard of him, his speeches, delivered during the late 1850s and early 1860s, are some of the most eloquent I’ve read....

Black Abolitionist Archive abolition, African Americans, archival, archive, black abolitionist, black history, education, freedom, history, speech Linda Papa Updated: February 19, 2016

“Where is Charles O’Conor?” November 2015

The U.S. Civil War officially began in the early months of 1861. Rumblings of war and early warning signs were very apparent in the months and years preceding this official date, however. Members of the free black population were already taking steps during this time to sabotage what they called the “slavocracy” as an economic institution. And they were doing a great job of it. Slowly but surely each patient step toward disruption through “agitation” (as they called it), legal wranglings, and speaking engagements was making an impact....

Black Abolitionist Archive abolition, African Americans, archive, black abolitionist, black history, editorial, emancipation, freedom, history, slavery Linda Papa Updated: October 7, 2015

“The Proposition is Peace” September 2015

In March, 1775, when Edmund Burke addressed the English House of Commons, the affairs in America had reached a crisis point. Attempts to keep the Colonies under control were failing, and failing in a big way. Burke decided to offer a plan to resolve the growing discontent in the Colonies in a way he hoped would be fair to all concerned. His objective was to maintain peace by offering concessions, and it would take quite a sales job to get...

Tamarack Archive archival, archive, freedom, history, Tamarack Linda Papa Updated: September 3, 2015

Life Questions from Amos Beman August 2015

Among the hundreds of editorials and speeches housed in the Black Abolitionist archive are several audio interpretations recorded by volunteers. These audio recordings offer a unique perspective on the published work of those who worked so hard for freedom for the enslaved men, women, and children during the almost 300 year history of slavery in this country. Most of these names are lost to history, only the more influential of these abolitionists are included in our history books. The Black Abolitionist Archive in our digital special collections, hopes to change that by introducing visitors to this important collection to those whose lives made an important historical difference to the way this country understands what it means to be free. ...

Black Abolitionist Archive abolition, African Americans, archival, archive, black abolitionist, black history, freedom, history, publication, slavery, speech Linda Papa Updated: August 13, 2016

The Age of Inquiry May 2015

In March, 1827, Freedom’s Journal, the first black-owned and operated newspaper was established with the goal of reaching the free black population in the northeastern part of the U.S. A speech (delivered in July, 1830) by one of its founders, Peter Williams, is among some of the earliest speeches held in the Black Abolitionist archive.

Soon, other black-owned newspapers followed. Among these was Frederick Douglass’ Paper (which had evolved from his previous newspapers), and among the editors of this paper was teacher, writer, and Black Abolitionist, William J. Watkins....

Black Abolitionist Archive abolition, archive, black abolitionist, black history, education, emancipation, freedom, history, newspaper, slavery Linda Papa Updated: May 14, 2015

Education and Slavery February 2015

Alexander Crummell, among other Black Abolitionists of his day, spoke frequently and eloquently about the plight of the slave and the cause of freedom. His thoughts were offered not just to those with the power to free the enslaved portion of the population, but to the slaves themselves, encouraging them to live full and productive lives, urging them to be strong in their religious convictions, and offering them words of hope and comfort. He also stressed the importance of education and the idea that an educated population was a successful one. Although few slaves had the option of a formal education (in most places during this time, educating the slave was illegal), this was the key to their futures. ...

Black Abolitionist Archive abolition, Africa, African Americans, black history, education, freedom, handwritten, Liberia, slavery Linda Papa Updated: February 12, 2015

Sojourner Truth August 2014

One hundred years ago in June, 1863, Sojourner Truth (a name chosen by Isabella Baumfree, former slave and abolitionist) attended a Sunday School Convention in Battle Creek, Michigan. On the last day of the convention, during a mass meeting of white children and their teachers at the local Methodist Church, she sat patiently in the back of the church listening to various speakers. When the last one finished his speech, she rose and spoke clearly and distinctly to the men at the podium, “Is there an opportunity that I may speak?”...

Black Abolitionist Archive abolitionist, Baumfree, freedom, prejudice, racial, slavery Linda Papa Updated: August 5, 2014

Civil War and Civil Rights July 2014

It was fear mostly that kept free black men from being accepted for enlistment in the early days of the Civil War (1861-1865). Although they had fought in both the American Revolution and the War of 1812, the uprisings and revolts of later years encouraged government worry about arming black men. Yet while riots and desertion were plentiful when it came to drafting white men into the war, those black men who were committed to fighting for freedom were turned...

Black Abolitionist Archive abolition, African Americans, black abolitionist, black history, Civil War, emancipation, freedom, history, slavery Linda Papa Updated: June 19, 2014

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