The Liberator (1831-1865) was the most widely circulated anti-slavery newspaper during the antebellum period and throughout the Civil War. It was published and edited in Boston by William Lloyd Garrison, a leading white abolitionist and founder of the influential American Anti-Slavery Society. Over the three decades of its publication, The Liberator denounced all people and acts that would prolong slavery including the United States Constitution. Garrison’s condemnation of the Constitution was an incredibly controversial and eventually led to a split with Frederick Douglass. Once referred to as the most aggressive and outspoken abolitionist the world-over, Garrison was decades ahead of most other northern white abolitionists in demanding the immediate emancipation of all people held in bondage and the restoration of the natural rights of enslaved persons. Garrison’s nature attracted him followers, lovingly called “Garrisonians,” but also many more detractors. Throughout his tenure as editor of The Liberator, his vitriolic criticisms of all people and institutions he saw as responsible for slavery gained him many threats and attempts against his life, including a $5000 (now valued at over $150,000) bounty on his head in Georgia. Garrison’s abolitionism, as well as his support of women’s rights for equality, were driven by the moral imperative to ensure that all people would truly be equal. The Liberator, whose readership was predominantly free blacks in the northern states, officially ended its run in 1865 when the Civil War ended. At the close of the paper’s run, Garrison declared, “my vocation as an abolitionist is ended.” He then turned his attention to women’s suffrage, pacifism, and condemning the post-Reconstruction actions of southern states against blacks. Help us to transcribe these issues of The Liberator and commemorate one of the major forces in the cause for abolition.
 Controversial Header to William Lloyd Garrison’s Paper The Liberator During abolitionist times, there were many newspapers published that dealt with the movement. They varied in publication and distribution, but they all conveyed a similar message: and end to slavery and equality for blacks. One of the most recognized newspapers is “The Liberator” written by William Lloyd Garrison. The Liberator began publication on January 1, 1831, and did not stop until 1865. In the first issue, Garrison said: “I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation….I am in earnest. I will not equivocate–I will not excuse–I will not retreat a single inch–AND I WILL BE HEARD.” This quote is representative of the typical abolitionist mindset. These people knew that what they were doing may put them in danger, but they continued doing it anyway because they wanted to support the cause that they so deeply believed in. Abolitionists often faced criticism for their beliefs, because they were surrounded by others who supported slavery and did not want it to end. Garrison was no different, and he spent over thirty years putting his own safely in danger to convey his message. At the age of only 25, William Lloyd Garrison joined the American Colonization Society, but eventually felt that he would be better suited towards the abolitionist movement. Eventually, he decided that the best way to spread his message would be to publish a newspaper. While writing The Liberator, Garrison believed that slaves should be freed and immediately be allowed to mix with society. Beginning in 1831, The Liberator continued publication until 1865, not once missing a single issue (which totaled 1,820). In its early years, The Liberator was only circulated among about 400 individuals, many of whom were already black abolitionists themselves, but it would grow to be a very well-known abolitionist publication. In addition to The Liberator, Garrison spent some of his time forming societies (groups of like-minded individuals all interested in putting and end to slavery). One of the most notable was the New England Anti-Slavery Society. After attracting different sorts of followers, many began to have conflicting ideas with Garrison. Those that did went on and formed a new society, the American Anti-Slavery Society. Another riff that Garrison found himself in the middle of was one that took place between himself and Frederick Douglas. Unfortunately, the pair that was once very close and would work hand in hand, would never come to an agreement and their partnership was never reconciled.
Many Americans supported Garrison and other abolitionists, but at the same time many did not. To gain support for his cause, Garrison spent some of his time traveling overseas to gain foreign support when that from back home was not strong. (Also while overseas, Garrison tried to solicit funds for the construction of a manual labor school for black youth.) While in America, Garrison did some things that upset many people and lead to his well-being being placed in danger. For instance, he once publicly burned a copy of the Constitution because it allowed for slavery to continue. Doing so resulted in a $4,000 bounty being placed on his head. Garrison also placed a header on his paper that many Americans did not agree with–it portrayed the scene of a slave auction happing near the Capitol. (Instances like this were common for Garrison, and because of that he would never be found in the same location for a long period of time.) Click here for select editions of Garrison’s “The Liberator.” Letter Written by Garrison Asking for Money to Build a Manual Labor School for Black Youth
At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 70,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World to soldiers’ letters from World War II and Vietnam. Explore primary sources, visit exhibitions in person or online, or bring your class on a field trip. Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC08875 Author/Creator: Place Written: s.l. Type: Newspaper Date: 1836-1861 Pagination: 59 newspapers Order a Copy Summary of Content A collection of early anti-slavery and abolitionist newspapers, including issues of The Emancipator, the National Anti-Slavery Standard, and the Liberator. Some of the papers are edited by William Lloyd Garrison; others by Edmund Quincy & James Russell Lowell - all three important names in the abolitionist movement. Newspapers are dated from 1836-1850, a range that captures the beginnings and the development of the abolitionist movement in the U.S. They deal with important topics such as the treatment of slavery in the Southern press; remarks by Congressmen, Senators, and Presidents on the slavery issue; the fugitive slave act; and reports of anti-slavery meetings and conferences. They present cogent arguments against slavery. Background Information These newspapers were edited (and thus generated) by a number of people, including William Lloyd Garrison (The Liberator), Edmund Quincy and James Russell Lowell (National Anti-Slavery Standard) and A.A. Phelps (The Emancipator). While Quincy is less known, William Lloyd Garrison and James Russell Lowell were two of the leading abolitionist figures in their time. Quincy, though less prominent a figure, was an active participant in and follower of Garrisonian ideas on the abolition of slavery and attended abolitionist meetings on a regular basis. Historical Era National Expansion and Reform, 1815-1860 Citation Guidelines for Online Resources Copyright Notice The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. |
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