Anyone who advocates or supports the abolition of slavery or fights for the freedom of those enslaved to another self-serving individual or group. Abolitionism typically refers to those who helped in the abolition of slaves in the U.S. (especially prior to the Civil War), however there continues to be many slaves today. Modern abolitionists are fighting for the abolition of slavery that exists in many forms today. Perhaps none is more egregious than the millions of children sold and traded in the sex slave industry.
Chronological History of Abolitionists
‘The Abolitionists’, a Documentary about a Sting Mission by Operation Underground Railroad to Counter Child Sex Trafficking, is Released
The Abolitionists, a 2016 documentary film by Darrin Fletcher and Chet Thomas is released about a sting mission orchestrated in Colombia by the independent Operation Underground Railroad jump team, led by former U.S. Homeland Security Special Agent Timothy Ballard, countering child sex trafficking. Since Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) was formed in December 2013, they've gathered the world's experts in extraction operations and in anti-child trafficking efforts ...
Brave Young Siblings, Hans and Sophie Scholl, were Executed after they Distributed Literature Alerting People to the Evil of Nazism
On February 22, 1943—75 years ago today—in Munich, Germany, two siblings made the ultimate sacrifice on the altar of conviction. They risked and lost, fought and failed, but not without leaving a lasting imprint. Their names were Hans and Sophie Scholl. Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and the White Rose movement stood up to the evils of the Nazis. Though they died for their beliefs, their message ...
Susan B. Anthony cast her Vote on Election Day — Illegally
The tactics of the suffragists went beyond petitions and memorials to Congress. Testing another strategy, Susan B. Anthony registered and voted in the 1872 election in Rochester, NY. As planned, she was arrested for "knowingly, wrongfully and unlawfully vot[ing] for a representative to the Congress of the United States," convicted by the State of New York, and fined $100, which she insisted she would never pay ...
Juneteenth: America’s 2nd Independence Day as Slaves are Freed in TX after Major General Granger Enforces Emancipation Proclamation Order
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation ...
Sojourner Truth says of President Lincoln: “I never was treated by anyone with more kindness and cordiality”
Abraham Lincoln’s White House was busy with citizens seeking favors for themselves and others, but on Oct, 29, 1864, he had a remarkable visitor. Sojourner Truth was the most renowned African-American woman of the 19th century, and she had come all the way from Battle Creek, Michigan, because she wanted to thank the president for emancipating the slaves. She had become well known in part for her ...
Abolitionist Julia Ward Howe’s Inspiring Lyrics to “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” are First Published in “The Atlantic Monthly’
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic", also known as "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" outside of the United States, is a song by American writer Julia Ward Howe using the music from the song "John Brown's Body." Howe's more famous lyrics were written in November 1861, and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. The song links the judgment of the wicked at ...
John Brown Raided the Federal Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry to Obtain Arms for a Slave Insurrection
Just after sundown on the evening of Sunday October 16, 1859 John Brown led a group of 21 men (16 white and 5 black) across the Potomac River from Maryland to Virginia. Their immediate objective was the capture of the cache of weapons stored at the U.S. Arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Brown's ultimate goal was to destroy the slave system of the South. The arms captured by ...
A NY Tribune Article Suggests that Sharps Rifle was an “effective weapon to fight pro-slavery Democrats” and Becomes known as “Beecher’s Bible”
He was one of the most popular preachers in American in the middle 1800s. He was the brother of Harriett Beecher Stowe, who wrote the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852. His name was Henry Ward Beecher. He purchased the chains that held John Brown in prison, dragging them across the stage and stomping on them as he preached against slavery. Beecher also supported women ...
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass Gives Iconic “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” Speech
Frederick Douglass (1818-95) was a prominent American abolitionist, author and orator. Born a slave, Douglass escaped at age 20 and went on to become a world-renowned anti-slavery activist. His three autobiographies are considered important works of the slave narrative tradition as well as classics of American autobiography. Douglass’ work as a reformer ranged from his abolitionist activities in the early 1840s to his attacks on Jim ...
Abolitionist, Sojourner Truth, Delivers “Ain’t I a Woman?” Speech at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio
Sojourner Truth was a slave-turned abolitionist. She became a Methodist and was called to ministry. Truth delivered a speech entitled “Ain’t I a Woman?” in 1851 that demanded equality for women and African Americans. As a preacher, she said that Jesus overcame her hatred of white people. Her faith gave her the ability to love everyone. The speech was briefly reported in two contemporary newspapers, and ...
