• Home
  • About
  • How to Contribute
  • Our Correspondents

8

Jul

08

Abolition: The Religious Dimension

Posted by   Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Recent Scholarship Themes: Religion & Philosophy, Slavery & Abolition

Thomas GarrettAbolition in the United States, like in Great Britain, had religious inspirations. Some of the first and most outspoken abolitionists were members of the religious Society of Friends, or Quakers. Benjamin Lay addressed the Yearly meeting of Quakers on the subject of abolishing slavery as early as 1738. Quakers continued their support for abolition throughout the nineteenth century, an example found prominently in Thomas Garrett, a Quaker merchant who helped countless escaped slaves to freedom as a “stationmaster” on the Underground Railroad. In Great Britain, evangelical Anglicans John Newton, Thomas Clarkson among others pressured Parliament for the abandonment of the slave trade. Abolitionism on both sides of the Atlantic carried a religious dimension that should not be ignored in any study of the movement.

In his blog, “Underground Railroad: Myth & Reality,” Fergus Bordewich explores the religious roots of the antislavery movement. Bordewich points to the Great Awakening as a main catalyst for growth of antislavery sentiment.

The National Humanities Center presents an essay on the topic of religion and antislavery movements as well. The essay by Bertram Wyatt-Brown goes into greater detail than Bordewich’s blog post, includes a classroom discussion guide, and a brief bibliography. Wyatt-Brown writes with a teacher audience in mind. The essay serves as much to introduce and explore the connection between abolition and religion as to provoke discussion and provide teacher resources. Certainly a worthwhile resource.

Wyatt-Brown’s essay is part of a larger TeacherServe webpage provided by the National Humanities Center. Additional essays on religion in America are provided, along with essays and materials exploring the environment in American history, and teaching African American history.

7 comments

7

Jul

08

Documenting the American South

Posted by sailerd  Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Letters & Diaries, Rare Books Themes: Slavery & Abolition

If your class is going to study the Underground Railroad, one website you should check out is Documenting the American South (DocSouth). The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has put together a great collection of primary sources, including slave narratives published before 1920. To see a list of what they have available, go here. Besides the full text of books, DocSouth has great supplementary material for almost every title. On Frederick Douglass, for example, the site provides a short biography and related primary sources. While students may be familiar with Douglass or Harriet Tubman, they can find on DocSouth many new interesting stories from fugitive slaves like Solomon Northup and William Wells Brown.

no comment

7

Jul

08

Levi Coffin: President of the Underground Railroad

Posted by   Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Lesson Plans, Places to Visit Themes: Slavery & Abolition

I found Levi Coffin, a leader of the Underground Railroad in Indiana, as I was going through the database today and the role that he played in the Underground Railroad.  Upon further research I found this great website created by Wayne County.  There are several pictures of the Levi Coffin House and where the Coffins used to hide the thousands of slaves that came through Indiana on their way to Canada.  The site includes several links to other sites about Levi Coffin and other Underground Railroad characters.  One link I thought was very useful was to K-12 Lesson Plan link.

no comment

1

Jul

08

Lincoln Douglas in 1854

Posted by sailerd  Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Historic Periodicals Themes: Contests & Elections

I want to point out an article that the Chicago Press & Tribune published on July 1, 1858. Almost two months before the first 1858 debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, the Tribune provided an account of the exchange between those two Illinois politicians in October 1854. Even though the Tribune described the event “from memory,” some might still find the article an interesting read.

no comment

27

Jun

08

“But will the election of Mr. Lincoln endanger the Union?”

Posted by sailerd  Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Historic Periodicals Themes: Contests & Elections

The Atlantic’s archive also has selected full text articles published between 1857 and November 1995. While a number of interesting articles are available, I wanted to point out one from the October 1860 issue. A month before the November 1860 election, James Russell Lowell discussed the four candidates and potential outcomes. Lowell realized that “this election [was] a turning-point in our history” because “[even though] there [were] four candidates, there [were] really…two parties, and a single question that divides them.” While many Americans were concerned about a Republican victory, Lowell concluded that Abraham Lincoln “[had] proved both his ability and his integrity” and his party “[had] no hostility to the South.” While thisarticle is a long one, some might be able to use it in their classes.

no comment

26

Jun

08

Utah War

Posted by   Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Historic Periodicals Themes: Battles & Soldiers

Exactly 150 years ago today, federal troops entered Salt Lake City in order to securely install federally appointed governor, Alfred E. Cumming, and removed the Mormon governor of nearly a decade, Brigham Young.  The article The Brink of War explains the Utah War and the history of how this Morman Zion gained its statehood.  What the article does not clarify however is the conflicting terminology of the Mormon War and the Utah War.  The Mormon War was a bloody and bitter conflict between the federal government and the Mormon population in the Utah territory, during Buchanan’s presidency.  What the article describes as the “bloodless” Utah War is the negotiations that occurred at the tail end of the conflict.  House Divided has several newspapers, letters, and other documents about the Mormon War.

no comment

26

Jun

08

The Defining Debates

Posted by   Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Recent Scholarship, Video Themes: Contests & Elections

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates is a topic often written about and discussed, certainly in this blog, and certainly among teachers, historians, and political scientists. The Debates are always relevant in telling the story of the nation, especially of those steps into civil war. This year in particular, much has been said about the Debates, whether by students of the Debates or by politicians wishing to replicate them for a modern election. Allen Guelzo, Henry R. Luce Professor of the Civil War Era at Gettysburg College, recently published a new book exploring the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. According to a Gettysburg College News Detail on the event of an interview given by Guelzo, the book “…dramatizes and underscores the historical significance of the 1858 campaign for the U.S. Senate in Illinois….” Professor Guelzo gave two recent interviews regarding the debates and his book, one with Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, and another with WHYY, an NPR affiliate serving southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and southern New Jersey.

Guelzo’s Daily Show interview is perhaps one of the more serious conducted on the show, and serves to give basic context for the debates, while advertising the book.

The WHYY interview provides much more context for the debates, and proves a good resource for introduction to the debates, or good context for wide discussion about antebellum politics and the events leading up to civil war.

no comment

24

Jun

08

Galesburg's "Year of Lincoln"

Posted by   Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Recent News Themes: Contests & Elections

Galesburg, Illinois has decided to declare this the “Year of Lincoln” in recognition of both the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. An article was released today from Knox College in Galesburg, home of the 5th Lincoln-Douglas debate. The article discusses and describes many of the events that the historic city plans to present throughout the year.

no comment

20

Jun

08

Lincoln-Douglas Lesson Plan

Posted by   Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Lesson Plans Themes: Contests & Elections

I found a lesson plan to go with the interactive map of the Lincoln Douglas Debates interactive map I found yesterday! Find more lesson plans at the House Divided’s Underground Railroad Digital Classroom.

no comment

20

Jun

08

Old John Brown

Posted by   Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Lesson Plans, Maps, Video Themes: Slavery & Abolition

PBS has made a film exploring the illustrious and radical abolitionist John Brown. Called “John Brown’s Holy War,” the film explores John Brown’s life and crusade for abolition of slavery, asking if the man was “…a martyr or a madman, a fanatic or a hero…”. PBS provides a webpage advertising the film and also giving an overview of John Brown’s life, including time lines and an interactive map. A teacher’s guide is also included.

1 comment
Page 12 of 15« First«...1011121314...»Last »

Search

Categories

  • Dickinson & Slavery
  • History Online
  • Period
    • 19th Century (1840-1880)
    • Antebellum (1840-1861)
    • Civil War (1861-1865)
    • Reconstruction (1865-1880)
  • Type
    • Editor's Choice
    • General Opinion
    • Historic Periodicals
    • Images
    • Lesson Plans
    • Letters & Diaries
    • Lists
    • Maps
    • Places to Visit
    • Rare Books
    • Recent News
    • Recent Scholarship
    • Recollections
    • Video
  • What Would Lincoln Do?

Project Links

  • Digital Lincoln
  • HDiv Research Engine
  • House Divided Index
  • L-D Debates Classroom
  • Lincoln in PA
  • PA Grand Review
  • UGRR Classroom
  • Virtual Field Trips
  • William Stoker Exhibit

Administration

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Donate

Recent Post

  • Black Employees and Exclusive Spaces: The Dickinson Campus in the Late 19th Century
  • Friend or Foe: Nineteenth Century Dickinson College Students’ Perception of Their Janitors
  • Teaching Gettysburg: New Classroom Resources
  • Coverage of the Gettysburg Address
  • Welcome to Chicago: Choosing the Right Citation Generator
  • Augmented Reality in the Classroom
  • Beyond Gettysburg: Primary Sources for the Gettysburg Campaign
  • African Americans Buried at Gettysburg
  • The Slave Hunt: Amos Barnes and Confederate Policy
  • Entering Oz – Bringing Color to History

Recent Comments

  • George Georgiev in Making Something to Write Home About
  • Matthew Pinsker in The Slave Hunt: Amos Barnes and Confederate Policy…
  • linard johnson in Making Something to Write Home About
  • Bedava in The Slave Hunt: Amos Barnes and Confederate Policy…
  • Adeyinka in Discovering the Story of a Slave Catcher
  • Stefan Papp Jr. in Where was William Lloyd Garrison?
  • Stefan Papp Jr. in Where was William Lloyd Garrison?
  • Jon White in Albert Hazlett - Trial in Carlisle, October 1859
  • Pedro in Discovering the Story of a Slave Catcher
  • Matthew Pinsker in Register Today for "Understanding Lincoln," a New …

by Wired Studios, Corvette Garage, Jeff Mummert
© Content 2007-2010 by Dickinson College