The Abolitionist Movement (19th century):
The abolitionist movement was a political and social movement that sought to end slavery in the United States. Rhode Island played an important role in this movement, particularly in the decades leading up to the Civil War.
A larger national effort to abolish slavery in the US included the Rhode Island abolitionist movement. Rhode Island was home to several notable abolitionists and served as a centre for the Underground Railroad, giving the state a vital role in the cause.
Elizabeth Buffum Chace was a prominent abolitionist from Rhode Island. She was a vocal supporter of the abolition of slavery after being born in 1806 into a Quaker household. She participated in the Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Society, which was established in 1836, and collaborated with other abolitionists there.
Sarah Doyle was a prominent abolitionist as well. She was one of the first women to graduate from Brown University and a pioneer in the field of women's education. Doyle was a fervent abolitionist who assisted in founding the Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Society.
Another well-known abolitionist who spoke at anti-slavery gatherings in Rhode Island was Abigail Kelley Foster. She worked to organize the National Women's Rights Conference in 1850 as a supporter of women's rights.
One of the most well-known abolitionists of the 19th century, Frederick Douglass, also paid a visit to Rhode Island to give speeches at anti-slavery gatherings. Douglass was a major supporter of the abolition of slavery and other social justice issues after making his escape from slavery in Maryland in 1838.
Enslaved individuals were greatly assisted by the Underground Railroad in their efforts to flee the South for the North. With several safe houses and escape routes for individuals seeking freedom, Rhode Island was a centre of activity for the Underground Railroad. The Smith-Appleby House in Smithfield, which was owned by Quakers who were abolitionists, was one renown safe home.
The Free Produce Movement in Rhode Island was a component of a larger campaign to avoid purchasing products made with slave labor. The movement promoted the idea that people should only buy products made without the exploitation of slave labor. The Providence Union Shop was one of several shops in Rhode Island that solely offered goods produced with "free labor."
An important turning point in the struggle against slavery was Rhode Island's adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865. Yet prejudice and racial segregation persisted in Rhode Island and throughout the rest of the nation. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was the first time that racial equality saw major advancement.
By Sabri Shouli
The abolitionist movement was a political and social movement that sought to end slavery in the United States. Rhode Island played an important role in this movement, particularly in the decades leading up to the Civil War.
A larger national effort to abolish slavery in the US included the Rhode Island abolitionist movement. Rhode Island was home to several notable abolitionists and served as a centre for the Underground Railroad, giving the state a vital role in the cause.
Elizabeth Buffum Chace was a prominent abolitionist from Rhode Island. She was a vocal supporter of the abolition of slavery after being born in 1806 into a Quaker household. She participated in the Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Society, which was established in 1836, and collaborated with other abolitionists there.
Sarah Doyle was a prominent abolitionist as well. She was one of the first women to graduate from Brown University and a pioneer in the field of women's education. Doyle was a fervent abolitionist who assisted in founding the Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Society.
Another well-known abolitionist who spoke at anti-slavery gatherings in Rhode Island was Abigail Kelley Foster. She worked to organize the National Women's Rights Conference in 1850 as a supporter of women's rights.
One of the most well-known abolitionists of the 19th century, Frederick Douglass, also paid a visit to Rhode Island to give speeches at anti-slavery gatherings. Douglass was a major supporter of the abolition of slavery and other social justice issues after making his escape from slavery in Maryland in 1838.
Enslaved individuals were greatly assisted by the Underground Railroad in their efforts to flee the South for the North. With several safe houses and escape routes for individuals seeking freedom, Rhode Island was a centre of activity for the Underground Railroad. The Smith-Appleby House in Smithfield, which was owned by Quakers who were abolitionists, was one renown safe home.
The Free Produce Movement in Rhode Island was a component of a larger campaign to avoid purchasing products made with slave labor. The movement promoted the idea that people should only buy products made without the exploitation of slave labor. The Providence Union Shop was one of several shops in Rhode Island that solely offered goods produced with "free labor."
An important turning point in the struggle against slavery was Rhode Island's adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865. Yet prejudice and racial segregation persisted in Rhode Island and throughout the rest of the nation. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was the first time that racial equality saw major advancement.
By Sabri Shouli
References
- Abolitionist Movement. (2021, February 16). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/abolitionist-movement
- Rhode Island Slave Trade and the Middle Passage. (n.d.). In Rhode Island Slave History Medallions. Retrieved from https://slavemedallions.com/ri-slave-trade/
- Rhode Island and Slavery. (n.d.). In The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Retrieved from https://www.gilderlehrman.org/content/rhode-island-and-slavery
- Mancini, M. J. (2018). Elizabeth Buffum Chace (1806-1899). In Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved from https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/chace-elizabeth-buffum-1806-1899
- Underground Railroad Sites in Rhode Island. (n.d.). In National Park Service. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/ri.htm
- Rhode Island Free Produce Association (n.d.). In Rhode Island Historical Society. Retrieved from https://www.rihs.org/ri-historical-organizations/rhode-island-free-produce-association/