Representatives brandished revolvers in the halls of Congress, and the nation contemplated the imminent collapse of the Union. But he understood that his personal testimony could help transform the struggle. And now, at last, John Brown was on his way to war, in Kansas. Chris Paz Frederick Douglass (Richard Brooks):My mother? Congress had decided to let the settlers in Kansas decide the question for themselves. Chief Justice Roger Taney saw the case as an opportunity to settle the question of slavery once and for all. He moved not with the tide, but against it. In some cases, abolitionists themselves were the targets, as when a New York mob burned Lewis Tappan's house to the ground. Mary Dutton (Virginia Fields):He wants to be noticed! And this, Garrison felt, was a fitting occasion to print the last. The only thing in the American economy worth more as simply a financial asset was the land itself, and no one really quite knows how to value North America. As soon as she joined him in New York, they were married in a safe house by a fellow runaway. Are you getting the free resources, updates, and special offers we send out every week in our teacher newsletter? And let all the people say, "Amen. Frederick Douglass named his abolitionist newspaper The North Starafter the icon followed by escaped slaves on their journeys to freedom. Adam Ferguson A few weeks into the tour, the relentless pace and grueling conditions began to tell on Garrison. How can Southerners look at that and say, "Oh these guys are good negotiating partners. Philip Wrencher. That left a hole -- I can't express it. Each puzzle covers a February holiday, observance day, or winter theme. Narrator:As Douglass was meeting with John Brown, a chain of events was being set in motion that would transform the future of slavery, and of America. Thomas Petersen, Best Boy Electrics Ian Edwards The personal liberty laws set alarm bells ringing throughout the South. A terrible fight is at this moment going on between Fort Sumter and the fortifications by which it is surrounded Narrator:Frederick Douglass canceled his trip to Haiti. Edward Kelahan Agitators. Although, curriculum is inquiry-based, lessons are full of engaging, participatory, hands-on learning experiences. Narrator:That winter, Douglass decided to reach out to a vast new audience. He's really also trying to strike terror into the hearts of pro-slavery settlers. Covey. Elizabeth Heslep, Digital Imaging Technicians Harriet wrote such glowing praise of Charley that her husband was actually disturbed by it. R. Blakeslee Gilpin, Historian:Northerners become convinced that Southerners are hell-bent on moving slavery to every part of the country. I feel, my Theodore, that we are the two halves of one whole, two bodies animated by one soul, and that the Lord has given us to each other. Tony Horwitz, Author:In the summer of 1855, Kansas has really become the front line in the conflict over slavery. Manisha Sinha, Historian:It's actually quite astounding how deeply entrenched it was in the nation's political and economic life. There is "a class of professed abolitionists in Cincinnati," she wrote, but they are "unfashionable" and are "regarded as a species of moral mono-maniacs.". Dianna Reardon, Key Makeup Aunt Hester (Ingrid Alli):Oh please, please Frederick Douglass (Richard Brooks, audio):No words, no tears, no prayers, seemed to move his iron heart. W. Caleb McDaniel, Historian:When Garrison receives Angelina Grimk's letter, he sees a Southern woman who is confirming everything that the abolitionists have been saying about slavery's evils. The first leaders of the campaign, which took place from about 1830 to 1870, mimicked some. I have never seen an audience so captivated. They've already been committing it, and now it's let loose the dogs of war. Tony Horwitz, Author:Pottawatomie scares, but also enrages, pro-slavery forces who don't need much incitement to violence. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens But all the same, Garrison's continued radicalism would be a great help in paving the way for a moderate, anti-slavery Republican. Franky Garrison (Jacob Washburn):The fort's burning. The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University He had once been a successful merchant and tanner, a good provider to his family. You have a gift, sir, you really do. It's a Godsend. Rob Vaughan, Grips The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles Kathryn Boyd Flute A stone-throwing crowd had recently forced one of Garrison's allies to abandon a speech. Antonio Perez Kemp But for many abolitionists, Garrison's old tactics seemed hopelessly inadequate. The result was mayhem. "While I will continue to write and speak against slavery," Douglass wrote, "I have become less hopeful of its peaceful abolition. Soon, Boston was in an uproar. Narrator:Soon after their meeting, Douglass described Brown inThe North Staras someone who, "though a white gentleman, is as deeply interested in our cause as though his own soul had been pierced with the iron of slavery.". Instead of Christ on the cross, she saw an image of a slave being whipped and she wrote the ending ofUncle Tom's Cabin, when Uncle Tom dies. Liberators. Jim Briggs III However, slavery had existed in the United States since the founding of the colonies, and some people fought to abolish the practice from the time it was established. Tony Horwitz, Author:What Brown has done, ultimately, is just to expose the depth of the divide between North and South. Benjamin Banneker - Author, Surveyor, Farmer (Nov. 9, 1731 - Oct. 9, 1806) Carol Berkin, Historian:She's exhausted from fighting, and yet, she really never lets go of doing what is morally right. Featured Casting I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- and I WILL BE HEARD. But as Garrison came into contact with Baltimore's large free black population, he began to embrace a far more radical vision of America's future. Earlier on you were not putting your life into danger if you criticized slavery. Ashton Green First Assailant (Actor):Well, well, here's our little rabbit. Stowe had hoped to become a writer, but now she was too busy raising six young children on very little money. Gregory Patterson But when he gets to the stone quarry, Brown presents a very different plan. Tom Trigo, Location Assistants Nathan Shifflette Out of the blue, the Supreme Court had radically altered not just the battle over slavery, but the status of every black person in America. Besides, I was growing, and needed room. John Brown (T. Ryder Smith):Your speeches have been an inspiration to us. And one day, when I was six years old, my grandmother was told to walk me to the workhouse near the master's place. That was what they wanted. Narrator:Douglass took hope in Lincoln's candidacy, and publicly endorsed him. They come down off the mountains, raid the plantations, bring off the slaves, offer them a chance to fight. In the mid-19th century, the abolitionist movement in the United States sought the immediate emancipation of all enslaved people. The great postal campaign did not bring about the end of what Southerners called "our peculiar institution." Jeanine Serralles "MORAL" HAS TO DO WITH KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG AND DOING THE RIGHT THING. Nicholas Keeton Jane Samura Frederick Douglass (Richard Brooks):Mr. Garrison, you must understand how unexpected this is. Thomas ColemanShields Green I myself was carried away, as you saw. As he headed west from his home in upstate New York, he collected money and weapons for the fight. There his horizons had widened. Narrator:George Latimer had arrived in Boston in the fall of 1842, only to be thrown in jail at the request of a Virginia planter. Floyd Henderson Frederick Douglass (Richard Brooks):I did. Jane Sakowski Bell Finally, John Brown stood up and raised his right hand. David W. Blight, Historian:The Mexican War unshucked slavery. His diploma is written on his back. West Virginia State Archives, Boyd B. Stutler Collection He quickly realized that Garrison and his allies were vehemently opposed to the notion, so Douglass kept his old mentor in the dark. On the subject of slavery, I do not wish to write with moderation. For abolitionists, it was a stunning victory, but they weren't done. William, she's the daughter of one of the most famous families in South Carolina. Nick DiMartino Narrator:Among those who read the book was Douglass's owner, Thomas Auld. Had to share the table with them, had to break bread with them, had to sleep in the same quarters with them. "Here before God," he announced, "in the presence of these witnesses, from this time, I consecrate my life to the destruction of slavery." I pray to God to let me do a little, and to cause my cry for them to be heard. Yet, as a peace man -- an "ultra" peace man -- I am prepared to say, "Success to every slave insurrection at the South.". Narrator:While Southerners saw the expansion of slave territory as a guarantee that the institution would continue to thrive, Northerners viewed those plans as a conspiracy to build a true slave empire. Grimk set about writingAn Appeal to the Women of the South, urging them to work for the downfall of slavery. The two men -- one a former slave, the other an impoverished printer -- are among the greatest civil rights activists in American history. Charles Williamson The Abolitionists Part 3 PBS A Viewing Guide Questions American Experience In Washington, anti-slavery Senator Charles Sumner decried the spread of slavery to Kansas and accused Southerners of "raping and plundering the virgin territory." William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan Add highlights, virtual manipulatives, and more. Aaron Nee Meg Schrock, Electrics David W. Blight, Historian:John Brown had a very beguiling personality. Michael Toland Narrator:On the morning of December 2nd, 1859, John Brown was driven from the jail, seated on his own coffin, to the gallows nearby. 1800's including; religious reform, education reform, temperance movement, labor reform, women's rights movement, movement, prison reform, and art, music, and culture, 1800's PowerPoint" found in my store. And the big question is, "What are we gonna do with all this land acquired from Mexico?" William Lloyd Garrison (Neal Huff):Dear Lord. In the fall of 1838, Frederick Douglass leapt aboard a train in Baltimore, slipped through the gauntlet of slave catchers prowling the border between slave and free states, and finally boarded a ferry bound for New York City. This is not the punishment of man. R. Blakeslee Gilpin, Historian:What Stowe sees there is a human thing. Frederick Douglass (Richard Brooks):But if we stoop to bloodshed, we are no better than they are. Peter Marziale William Lloyd Garrison (Neal Huff):Brothers and sisters, Mr. and Mrs. Weld have chosen to solemnize their union not by the illegitimate authority of state or church, but by your witness. Narrator:On March 20th, 1852, a publisher released a book on a difficult subject by an unknown author. abolitionist movement or actively opposed it. It was the bloodstained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery. The Abolitionists | American Experience | PBS But he's made this decision that it matters not. Paris Jones By killing of five pro-slavery men, John Brown hoped to strike terror in the hearts of pro-slavery settlers in Kansas. Narrator:By 1840, after 10 years of struggle, William Lloyd Garrison was drifting away from many of his old allies, alienating them with what they considered irrelevant heresies. John Brown (T. Ryder Smith):I do, Douglass. The names were already seared in the nation's consciousness: Bull Run, Shiloh, Malvern Hill. Erica Armstrong Dunbar, Historian:It's an expos about, of course, the horrible treatment of slaves. Center City Film & Video, Philadelphia, PA Oh, God, they'll be after all of us. There is a kind of work that Garrison can do, precisely because he is a white man in America in the 1830s. Narrator:Stowe had every reason to hope that her family would be spared -- they lived far from the tenements where the poor were being decimated. He's always trying to discern what God wants for him. Angelina Grimk (Jeanine Serralles):You know! What is this? On June 2nd, 1854, all Boston watched as hundreds of U.S. Marines, cavalry, infantry, and artillery, along with the county militia and the Boston police, marched Anthony Burns from the jail to a ship waiting in the harbor. On a hot August night in 1831, a band of armed slaves rode through the Virginia countryside, killing the white occupants of one farmhouse after another. They've killed people, and not the first people he's killed. Susan Demirjian Danny Caporaletti "You will receive a zip file which contains a multi-episode bundle of all 3 Video Response Worksheets and Keys in PDF format and access to all 3 TpT Digital Activities for students (worksheets only). Angelina Grimk (Jeanine Serralles):I can't let it be! He and four of the survivors, including Shields Green, were trapped in an engine house at the armory. He wanted immediate abolition -- the complete eradication of the institution, everywhere and forever. Mr. Douglass, how many slaveholders have you converted? In fact, he had been shaken to his core, his faith in his fellow man poisoned, his hope for his country undermined. Kristen Barry Art Directors Rebecca Rachael Frye John Stauffer, Historian:Douglass spends two days trying to convince John Brown not to raid Harpers Ferry. Norman Outlaw Amula Gobah Russell Scott, Jr. And he starts to say, "The churches are pro-slavery -- we're coming out of all the churches. Lisa Figueroa Crawford Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum Kacy GabbertJohn Browns Daughter I realized with deep satisfaction that I was not alone in abhorring slavery. Lois Brown, Historian:There's a kind of fearlessness about Angelina Grimk. It had been four years to the day since federal troops evacuated Sumter. In the summer of 1849, the fight over slavery was suddenly eclipsed as cholera swept through cities across the country. Frederick Douglass (Richard Brooks):What will 22 men do with 100,000 rifles? Lincoln basically says to them, "This is a single race country. William Lloyd Garrison (Neal Huff):Tell your story, Frederick. As soon as he arrived, Douglass set about producing his own paper, naming it after the most potent symbol of the Underground Railroad. Kirk Graves Narrator:Frederick Douglass had heard the stories -- every slave had. abolitionists were often targeted and harassed, sometimes violently. Animals & Historic Transportation Provided by They are absolutely engrossed within, stories of Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, Angelina Grimke and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Frederick Douglass (Richard Brooks, audio):"Tell your story, Frederick," would whisper my friend, William Lloyd Garrison, as we stepped upon the platform. I have lost 20 pounds, and am quite thin and weak Narrator:Douglass reluctantly left Garrison in Cleveland, to finish the speaking tour on his own. James Brewer Stewart, Historian:And Garrison can sense that this is a way to really make the abolitionist cause incarnate. But by that time in the South, if you did you were taking a serious risk. It is nothing but the word of cowardice." Lois Brown, Historian:Garrison has to resolve this tension between clearly unapologetic armed resistance and strategy and maneuver, with pacifism and moral suasion. American Experience: The Abolitionists. The mobs shattered every abolitionist assumption: that righteousness would triumph over evil, that their fellow Americans would listen to reason, that their Northern neighbors would support the abolitionist cause. But at the beginning of July, Charley, Stowe's beloved little boy, was taken ill. Joan D. Hedrick, Historian:She called him her summer child. Frederick Douglass (Richard Brooks, audio):With an earnest, aching heart, I have long looked for the realization of the hope of my people. Corruption is general, constitutional restraints are as cobwebs. Some lost hope and returned to their masters. Crystal CuppMrs. Grimk Charles Hibbler John Wicker, Set Medics New Hampshire Historical Society The abolitionists are ardent desirers of respectability for their movement. American Residuals & Talent, Inc. The proclamation was the first sign that the president was moving by agonizing steps to a new understanding of the war. Karla Brown Still, Southern repression of free speech allowed the abolitionists to link the slavery issue with the cause of civil liberties for whites. It was a tribute to fervent ideals, generosity, and love, to the bitterness and the passions that had moved men and women to bend the arc of history. McCue Butler Early on, Abolitionists used the practice of "moral suasion". Anti-slavery Northerners all wanted it to be free territory. Lynn BandoriaRosetta Douglass Lois Brown, Historian:You see the South rising to say, "This is yet another assault on our way of life. William Lloyd Garrison came, as did Angelina and Sarah Grimk. Now that this man has filled up the measure of his years, now that the leaf has fallen to the ground as all leaves must fall, let us guard his memory, let us try to imitate his virtues, and endeavor as he did to leave the world freer, nobler, and better than we found it. They will never respect themselves otherwise, nor will they be respected. Lena Drobot Michelle Muller Youre eternally in sin. I came as fast as I could! There could be little doubt that Brown would follow them. Vladimir Rachkovsky And he isn't punished, in part because Douglass standing up to Covey ruins, or at least jeopardizes, Covey's reputation. William Herndon assured him that he and Lincoln were working to the same end. Carol Berkin, Historian:She was really concerned about the fate of their white masters. From here, we can strike a blow against the slave masters. Alan Davis Every enslaved person in the South was then, thenceforward, and forever free. Dorry Marie But for the remainder of the 1850s, William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass would not speak to each other.