"Then blossomed forth a grander flower,
In the wilderness of wrong,
Untouched by Slavery's bitter frost,
A soul devout and strong."
-Louisa May Alcott, 1860
In the wilderness of wrong,
Untouched by Slavery's bitter frost,
A soul devout and strong."
-Louisa May Alcott, 1860
The title of this anthology, "In the Wilderness of Wrong" is taken from Louisa May Alcott's poem "With a Rose, That bloomed on the day of John Brown's martyrdom." The poem views the execution of abolitionist John Brown as a sacrifice to a noble cause: the ending of slavery. Rich in symbolism, Alcott's poem casts Brown as a Christ-like figure, giving of himself, in order that the country no longer ignore the issue. In the second stanza, she describes Brown as a "grander flower" that has blossomed in this wilderness, "untouched by Slavery's bitter frost..."
Such a description could not be more accurate. Slavery was indeed a wilderness of wrong, with far-reaching implications and moral conundrums that spoke throughout its existence. It was a way of life, for both slave and owner, that lasted from the first slaves arrived on American soil until its demise under the Thirteenth Amendment after the Civil War in 1865. One can easily conceive of slavery as unjust if it is recognized that buying and selling other humans is also unjust. Furthermore, the inhumane whipping and indiscriminate punishment lead to a self-evident conclusion. Too often, however, it is too easy to stop at this conclusion. The real pain and suffering of slavery are both found in the deep moral questions associated with this institution.
The tragedy of slavery is that it never was simply about buying and selling other people; neither was it about the violence associated with such an institution. The real heartache lay in the "wilderness" of issues surrounding it, including matters of guilt, atonement, and hypocrisy. Objection after objection was raised, and new arguments were constantly presented. Each generation had its own voices and its own lens in which to view the issue. The earliest petitions are based on religion; those made during the era of the American Revolution reflect the petition of freedom made towards England. Some mention the shocking pain of families torn apart, while others argue that those who may feel innocent and removed from slavery are, in some ways, complicit in its continued existence.
This anthology aims to wade into that wilderness, seeking a deeper understanding of one of the most influential and horrific institutions in American history. By reading the wide array of arguments included here, one may leave with a better understanding of the implications of slavery on individuals, our country, and its republican principles. Issues such as slavery are never cut and dry as popular history would make them out to be. The goal of this anthology is to provide diverse voices in which this is made clear.
The wilderness may be painful to explore, but these voices raise another important point to be made- one about perseverance. Anti-slavery writings show that there were many writers who persisted in showing the cruelty and misguided thinking behind the institution. While they were not successful at the outset, these writings created dialogue (some more than others, to be sure), but the fact that they were influential at directing conversation shows their impact. In the end, these documents all added to the anti-slavery’s success. Here is the proverbial "grander flower" that Alcott uses to refer to John Brown. Antislavery was also "untouched by Slavery's bitter frost;" it persisted. One can look to these writings as inspiration, as history serves as the final vindication for many causes.
Types of arguments
Antislavery writings contain a myriad of arguments. The sources contained in this anthology contain unique arguments about the institution- specifically on the injustice it causes and why it cannot be defended.
Religious
The earliest abolitionist writings were centered around religion. It was a common belief in colonial America that slavery had developed in the days of the Old Testament. This defense of slavery centered around the story in the Book of Genesis, commonly referred to as the Curse of Ham. A curse was placed up Canaan, son of Ham and grandson of Noah, for misdeeds. He was subsequently told that he will remain a “servant of servants.” The first document in the anthology, written by minister Samuel Sewall, addresses this argument. Sewall then proceeds to attack slavery from a religious viewpoint, making it clear that such practices were contradictory to God’s natural law. Minister Benjamin Lay would follow in Sewall’s footsteps in a 1737 speech to slaveowners. A more famous use of religion is in John Newton’s Hymn XLI, also known as “Amazing Grace.” Today, the hymn is usually associated with the redemption of sinners. However, Newton wrote it from a slave trader’s point of view, praising God for being saved from his offenses.
Political
As the revolution drew nearer, colonists spoke and wrote in terms of liberty. The famous three rights that Jefferson mentions (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) are mentioned countless times by many antislavery writers. Ben Franklin touches on the issue of freedom and liberty in a fictitious conversation by an American, Scotchman, and British citizen. Patrick Henry argues the same, while also including a religious objection. In 1781, the freed black man Benjamin Banneker makes his case to the ultimate source: Thomas Jefferson. This political, rights-driven approach towards abolitionism became the most popular, carried on by such figures as William Lloyd Garrison, creator of the abolitionist tract The Liberator, and freed slave Frederick Douglass.
Others
There are sources that explore the morality of slavery by other means. Garrison’s “Truisms” looks at just how slavery has made hypocrites of Americans. The interesting story by Elizabeth Margaret Chandler, entitled “Tea-Table Talk” looks at how one can support slavery by not even being a slaveowner. Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, famous more for his depiction of Paul Revere, makes an appearance in this anthology with his poem "The Witnesses," a gothic portrayal of the long-term horror of the slave trade.
Intended Audience
This anthology was written with high school students in mind. Each source in the anthology includes a head note that can be used as a springboard for analysis and reflection about the subsequent source. They serve as guides for students who may feel overwhelmed or may need assistance in connecting the source to the larger theme of the collection. Some head notes contain guiding questions, others merely provide some background and context that may be important to understanding the message of the source. It should also be noted that the emphasis of this anthology is primarily twofold: to examine primary sources built around a particular theme, and to provide opportunities for close-reading exercises of anti-slavery documents. Therefore, the sources that are contained in this anthology are excerpted from larger works (with exception of Newton's "Hymn XLI" and Longfellow's poem "The Witnesses"). Having the complete sources would be a time-consuming effort for students, and take away from the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the sources' messages. Some of the sources have been modified, as well. This is done in an effort to preserve the message and structure of the source, while at the same time, making it accessible for high school students. Excerpting sources, without at least some minor modifications, results in documents that may be confusing or more of a struggle for students who have had less practice than historians and teachers.
Finally, this anthology was originally composed to be a part of a social studies curriculum. It can also be adapted to be part of a language arts. These documents can be analyzed in an American literature course or in conjunction with any other unit with similar themes or works. It can also be used as a means to supplement other writings concerning slavery, such as The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the often taught autobiography (Douglass’ essay “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” is included in this anthology).
Sources
This anthology was created as a culminating project for the class Amazing Grace: How Writers Helped End Slavery, taught by Dr. James Basker, the president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History. The sources in this anthology come from two collections used in that course: a reader compiled by Dr. Basker, and his own anthology, American Antislavery Writings (Library of America, 2012). For teachers wanting to find the original sources, or longer edited works from which the sources here were adapted, American Antislavery Writings will be of use. The one work from the course reader, Newton’s hymn, appears here in its entirety. The page on this site, entitled “Sources,” will serve as endnotes for the anthology.
Such a description could not be more accurate. Slavery was indeed a wilderness of wrong, with far-reaching implications and moral conundrums that spoke throughout its existence. It was a way of life, for both slave and owner, that lasted from the first slaves arrived on American soil until its demise under the Thirteenth Amendment after the Civil War in 1865. One can easily conceive of slavery as unjust if it is recognized that buying and selling other humans is also unjust. Furthermore, the inhumane whipping and indiscriminate punishment lead to a self-evident conclusion. Too often, however, it is too easy to stop at this conclusion. The real pain and suffering of slavery are both found in the deep moral questions associated with this institution.
The tragedy of slavery is that it never was simply about buying and selling other people; neither was it about the violence associated with such an institution. The real heartache lay in the "wilderness" of issues surrounding it, including matters of guilt, atonement, and hypocrisy. Objection after objection was raised, and new arguments were constantly presented. Each generation had its own voices and its own lens in which to view the issue. The earliest petitions are based on religion; those made during the era of the American Revolution reflect the petition of freedom made towards England. Some mention the shocking pain of families torn apart, while others argue that those who may feel innocent and removed from slavery are, in some ways, complicit in its continued existence.
This anthology aims to wade into that wilderness, seeking a deeper understanding of one of the most influential and horrific institutions in American history. By reading the wide array of arguments included here, one may leave with a better understanding of the implications of slavery on individuals, our country, and its republican principles. Issues such as slavery are never cut and dry as popular history would make them out to be. The goal of this anthology is to provide diverse voices in which this is made clear.
The wilderness may be painful to explore, but these voices raise another important point to be made- one about perseverance. Anti-slavery writings show that there were many writers who persisted in showing the cruelty and misguided thinking behind the institution. While they were not successful at the outset, these writings created dialogue (some more than others, to be sure), but the fact that they were influential at directing conversation shows their impact. In the end, these documents all added to the anti-slavery’s success. Here is the proverbial "grander flower" that Alcott uses to refer to John Brown. Antislavery was also "untouched by Slavery's bitter frost;" it persisted. One can look to these writings as inspiration, as history serves as the final vindication for many causes.
Types of arguments
Antislavery writings contain a myriad of arguments. The sources contained in this anthology contain unique arguments about the institution- specifically on the injustice it causes and why it cannot be defended.
Religious
The earliest abolitionist writings were centered around religion. It was a common belief in colonial America that slavery had developed in the days of the Old Testament. This defense of slavery centered around the story in the Book of Genesis, commonly referred to as the Curse of Ham. A curse was placed up Canaan, son of Ham and grandson of Noah, for misdeeds. He was subsequently told that he will remain a “servant of servants.” The first document in the anthology, written by minister Samuel Sewall, addresses this argument. Sewall then proceeds to attack slavery from a religious viewpoint, making it clear that such practices were contradictory to God’s natural law. Minister Benjamin Lay would follow in Sewall’s footsteps in a 1737 speech to slaveowners. A more famous use of religion is in John Newton’s Hymn XLI, also known as “Amazing Grace.” Today, the hymn is usually associated with the redemption of sinners. However, Newton wrote it from a slave trader’s point of view, praising God for being saved from his offenses.
Political
As the revolution drew nearer, colonists spoke and wrote in terms of liberty. The famous three rights that Jefferson mentions (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) are mentioned countless times by many antislavery writers. Ben Franklin touches on the issue of freedom and liberty in a fictitious conversation by an American, Scotchman, and British citizen. Patrick Henry argues the same, while also including a religious objection. In 1781, the freed black man Benjamin Banneker makes his case to the ultimate source: Thomas Jefferson. This political, rights-driven approach towards abolitionism became the most popular, carried on by such figures as William Lloyd Garrison, creator of the abolitionist tract The Liberator, and freed slave Frederick Douglass.
Others
There are sources that explore the morality of slavery by other means. Garrison’s “Truisms” looks at just how slavery has made hypocrites of Americans. The interesting story by Elizabeth Margaret Chandler, entitled “Tea-Table Talk” looks at how one can support slavery by not even being a slaveowner. Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, famous more for his depiction of Paul Revere, makes an appearance in this anthology with his poem "The Witnesses," a gothic portrayal of the long-term horror of the slave trade.
Intended Audience
This anthology was written with high school students in mind. Each source in the anthology includes a head note that can be used as a springboard for analysis and reflection about the subsequent source. They serve as guides for students who may feel overwhelmed or may need assistance in connecting the source to the larger theme of the collection. Some head notes contain guiding questions, others merely provide some background and context that may be important to understanding the message of the source. It should also be noted that the emphasis of this anthology is primarily twofold: to examine primary sources built around a particular theme, and to provide opportunities for close-reading exercises of anti-slavery documents. Therefore, the sources that are contained in this anthology are excerpted from larger works (with exception of Newton's "Hymn XLI" and Longfellow's poem "The Witnesses"). Having the complete sources would be a time-consuming effort for students, and take away from the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the sources' messages. Some of the sources have been modified, as well. This is done in an effort to preserve the message and structure of the source, while at the same time, making it accessible for high school students. Excerpting sources, without at least some minor modifications, results in documents that may be confusing or more of a struggle for students who have had less practice than historians and teachers.
Finally, this anthology was originally composed to be a part of a social studies curriculum. It can also be adapted to be part of a language arts. These documents can be analyzed in an American literature course or in conjunction with any other unit with similar themes or works. It can also be used as a means to supplement other writings concerning slavery, such as The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the often taught autobiography (Douglass’ essay “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” is included in this anthology).
Sources
This anthology was created as a culminating project for the class Amazing Grace: How Writers Helped End Slavery, taught by Dr. James Basker, the president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History. The sources in this anthology come from two collections used in that course: a reader compiled by Dr. Basker, and his own anthology, American Antislavery Writings (Library of America, 2012). For teachers wanting to find the original sources, or longer edited works from which the sources here were adapted, American Antislavery Writings will be of use. The one work from the course reader, Newton’s hymn, appears here in its entirety. The page on this site, entitled “Sources,” will serve as endnotes for the anthology.