Reaction to Abolition

By MissF2019

  • Publication of "The Liberator"

    Publication of "The Liberator"
    IN THE NORTH, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison publishes the first copy of "The Liberator." The Liberator was a newspaper that focused on abolitionist issues and called for the end of slavery. The newspaper was mailed around the country - to both the North and the South.

  • Nat Turners Rebellion

    Nat Turners Rebellion
    IN THE SOUTH, Nat Turner's rebellion took place a few months after the first publication of "The Liberator." Turner and several other enslaved people attacked and killed white slave owners in Virginia. To stop the ideas of abolitionists from spreading among slaves, new laws were created in the South that banned enslaved people from learning to read. Other laws banned the distribution of abolitionist newspapers and pamphlets.

  • Riots of 1834

    Riots of 1834
    IN THE NORTH, Lewis Tappan created chapters of the American Anti-Slavery Society throughout New York. He mailed abolitionist material across the country, including to people in the South. Pro-slavery rioters in New York attacked him repeatedly.

  • Copies of Abolitionist Papers Burned

    Copies of Abolitionist Papers Burned
    IN THE SOUTH, pro-slavery groups in South Carolina break into the post office and burned copies of the abolitionist pamphlets and newspapers that had been sent to the South.

  • Riots of 1835

    Riots of 1835
    IN THE NORTH, pro-slavery rioters attacked Garrison and the office of his abolitionist newspaper, "The Liberator." The image shows rioters tearing down an anti-slavery sign.

  • Gag Rule in the House of Representatives

    Gag Rule in the House of Representatives
    A NEW RULE AFFECTED THE ENTIER COUNTRY, BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH - Under pressure from Southern politicians, the House of Representatives passed a gag rule stating that all abolitionist petitions will be ignored and not discussed in the House of Representatives. Essentially, the House of Representatives were refusing to listen to the needs and complaints of abolitionists. This stopped the government from making laws against slavery. One of the unread petitions can be seen in the image above.

  • Abolitionists Elijah Lovejoy Killed

    Abolitionists Elijah Lovejoy Killed
    IN THE NORTH, abolitionist and journalist Elijah Lovejoy is shot and killed when a pro-slavery mob in Alton, Illinois tried to burn his print shop and destroy his printing press so he could no longer publish abolitionist material.