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Overview
William Lloyd Garrison (1805-79) was one of the most militant and uncompromising abolitionists in the United States. As the editor of the abolitionist paper The Liberator and cofounder of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Garrison spent most of his life arguing against slavery on strictly moral grounds. This engrossing book presents six essays that reevaluate Garrison's legacy, his accomplishments, and his limitations.Eminent scholars-David W. Blight, Bruce Laurie, James Brewer Stewart, Richard J. M. Blackett, and Lois A. Brown-and a distinguished journalist, Lloyd McKim Garrison, who is Garrison's direct descendant, reflect on Garrison as a political activist, an internationalist, an advocate of feminism, and more. Together they present a new appraisal of one of America's most challenging, inspiring, and controversial historical figures.
Synopsis
William Lloyd Garrison (1805-79) was one of the most militant and uncompromising abolitionists in the United States. As the editor of the abolitionist paper The Liberator and cofounder of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Garrison spent most of his life arguing against slavery on strictly moral grounds. This engrossing book presents six essays that reevaluate Garrison's legacy, his accomplishments, and his limitations.
Eminent scholars-David W. Blight, Bruce Laurie, James Brewer Stewart, Richard J. M. Blackett, and Lois A. Brown-and a distinguished journalist, Lloyd McKim Garrison, who is Garrison's direct descendant, reflect on Garrison as a political activist, an internationalist, an advocate of feminism, and more. Together they present a new appraisal of one of America's most challenging, inspiring, and controversial historical figures.
Michael Farrell - Library Journal
This collection is a strong contribution to the history of the Anglo-American abolitionist movement, the book's distinctive flavor emerging from its origins in a reunion of descendants of William Lloyd Garrison (1805-79), editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and cofounder of the American Anti-Slavery Society. The family listened to scholarly presentations on their ancestor by David W. Blight and Lois A. Brown, both of whose pieces are among the six essays here, covering several aspects of Garrison's beliefs and actions, from his steadfast commitment to controversial means of ending slavery to his tireless work toward the equality of women and African Americans. The key to understanding the book is in the essay by editor Stewart (history, emeritus, Macalester Coll.; Abolitionist Politics and the Coming of the Civil War), which helps the reader understand what motivated Garrison and his followers, what influence they had in their own day, and how their actions compare to social action from today's "would-be heirs of abolition." Every library should have a good biography of Garrison, e.g., Henry Mayer's All on Fire: William Lloyd Garrison and the Abolition of Slavery, to which this collection is an excellent supplement. Recommended for academic libraries and large public libraries.
Editorials
Library Journal
This collection is a strong contribution to the history of the Anglo-American abolitionist movement, the book's distinctive flavor emerging from its origins in a reunion of descendants of William Lloyd Garrison (1805-79), editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and cofounder of the American Anti-Slavery Society. The family listened to scholarly presentations on their ancestor by David W. Blight and Lois A. Brown, both of whose pieces are among the six essays here, covering several aspects of Garrison's beliefs and actions, from his steadfast commitment to controversial means of ending slavery to his tireless work toward the equality of women and African Americans. The key to understanding the book is in the essay by editor Stewart (history, emeritus, Macalester Coll.; Abolitionist Politics and the Coming of the Civil War), which helps the reader understand what motivated Garrison and his followers, what influence they had in their own day, and how their actions compare to social action from today's "would-be heirs of abolition." Every library should have a good biography of Garrison, e.g., Henry Mayer's All on Fire: William Lloyd Garrison and the Abolition of Slavery, to which this collection is an excellent supplement. Recommended for academic libraries and large public libraries.
—Michael Farrell