Let the Oppressed Go Free: 1861–1867 (Volume V) (The Letters of William Lloyd Garrison) - Hardcover

Garrison, William Lloyd

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674526651 ISBN 13: 9780674526655

Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press, 1979

Synopsis

By 1861, William Lloyd Garrison’s public image had progressed from that of impulsive fanatic to one of widely respected and influential abolitionist. As editor of The Liberator and president of the American Anti-Slavery Society, he was the acknowledged spokesman for radical antislavery opinion.

Garrison was profoundly disturbed by the advent of war. In his correspondence, he kept military events at a distance, focusing on the morality of the conflict, an issue made the more poignant by his eldest son’s enlistment in the 55th Massachusetts Regiment in 1863―the same year that his wife suffered a paralytic stroke. Gradually he became convinced that the war would effect the abolition he had sought for so many years.

Likewise his attitude toward Lincoln underwent significant changes; he moved from critic to supporter, defending the President’s re-election against the arguments of fellow abolitionists. His visit with Lincoln in the White House he described as “a very satisfactory one indeed,” for he was pleased with Lincoln’s “spirit, and the familiar and candid way in which he unbosomed himself.” With the war ended and his goal as abolitionist achieved, Garrison discontinued The Liberator and withdrew from the American Anti-Slavery Society. Fortunately, friends arranged for a national testimonial that provided financial security. By 1866–1867 he was enjoying an active retirement with honors at home and abroad, and a “plump and cunning” first grandchild. His letters show Garrison as a family man and curious observer as well as a reformer with a vision of a free and peaceful land.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Garrison was profoundly disturbed by the advent of war. In his correspondence, he kept military events at a distance, focusing on the mortality of the conflict, an issue made the more poignant by his eldest son's enlistment in the 55th Massachusetts Regiment in 1863- the same year that his wife suffered a paralytic stroke. Gradually he became convinced that the war would effect the abolition he had sought for so many years.

About the Author:

Walter M. Merrill was Professor of English at Drexel University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 1979
• ISBN 10: 0674526651
• ISBN 13: 9780674526655
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 640
• Editor: Merrill Walter M.