Abolitionists
Harriet Tubman
As a child, Harriet Tubman, was abused and, like other slaves, was not aloud to read or write. Harriet managed to escape from slavery, " hiding by day, following North Star by night". After her escapeShe would later come back and help other slaves to freedom. People in the north refered to her as "black Moses, Because like moses in the bible she had led people out of slavery". When the Civil war started she devoted her life to helping slaves escape.
Frederick Douglas
He argued with other abolitionists. People questioned if he was ever really a slave, because he was so intelligent. He not only fought for slave's rights but women's rights as well. At age eight his grandma was ordered to bring him to a plantation and leave him there. The cook took care of the childeren, but she still beat Frederick when he cried. His first slave owners wife tought hi how to read and write. The owner was very angry and told her never to teach a slave to read or write, they won't want to be a slave anymore. At age sixteen he was sent to a slavebreaker and was told to act like a slave. He told them never. He stayed with the slavebreaker for almost a year. At age eighteen he met a girl, He wanted to marry her. But he would not ask until he was free. After months of planning Frederick ran. When he was finally free he sent for, his soon to be wife, Anna. They were married in New York. After writing his own life story he had to run again. He left his family and went to England. Two years later his friends bought him free, and he cae back to America with his own free papers. He believed that all people should be free and he worked toward that his entire life. After President Linoln freed slaves Frederick went to the whitehouse and asked to have black men join the union army. Many black men won medals for bravery in the war. After the war he was called a hero, not because he fought in the war but because he had fought to end slavery for so long. In the 1890's blacks started losing their rights again. Even though he was old and tired he still fought to gain the righs back. He always would. He could never understand how one person could own another.
Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was born into slavery, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son, she became the first black woman to win a case against a white man. Dumont had promised Truth her freedom a year before the state emancipation. However he changed his mind claiming that a hand injury had made her less productive. She was infuriated but continued working. When she ran in 1826 she said, "I did not run off, for I thought that wicked, but I walked off, believing that to be all right." Truth's son was later illegally sold by Dumont to an owner in Alabama. With the help of the Van Wageners she took the issue to court and got her son back, who had been abused by his new owners. In June of 1843 she changed her name and became a methodist, and left to make her way traveling and preaching about the abolition of slavery. In May of 1851 she attended the Ohio women's rights convention in Akron, Ohio where she delivered her famous extemporaneous speech on women's rights.
Angelina and Sarah Grimke
They were the first women to testify before the state legislature on the question of African American rights. They not only worked to end slavery they also worked towards freedom of women. They were born in Charleston, South Carolina. They received ridicule and abuse for their abolitionist activity.
William Lloyd Garrison
He started an anti-slavery newspaper in 1831. He spoke about the immediate elimination of slavery, and fought for women's right to vote.