American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society minute book

Collection — Container: Small Collections

Identifier: 2203

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This minute book of the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society contains minutes of the society's executive committee dating from May 17, 1848 to May 1, 1855. Additional minutes follow for March 16-November 7, 1859. The volume also contains a list of members of the committee and the society's by-laws. Minutes reflect discussions on the general business of the society, business transactions, publications and letters received by the society from other abolitionists, and the society's printing and distribution of various abolitionist tracts and pamphlets.

Highlights of reported discussions include the topic of political aspects of the extension of slavery, preparation of an address to the "Friends of Liberty" regarding the policy of adhering the the Liberty Party principles, preparation of an address to the French government congratulating it on passage of a decree for the manumission of all slaves in French colonies and dependencies, a lawsuit in Maryland that resulted in the liberation of 15 slaves, the society's relationship to pro-slavery or slaveholding ecclesiastical bodies, support for John Brown, and the creation of a depository for society publications and the eventual closing of that depository.

In total, the minutes book occupies 143 pages of a bound volume.

Dates

Created: 1848-1859
Other: Majority of material found in 1848-1855
Other: Date acquired: 07/01/1970

Creator

American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright to these papers has not been assigned to the Amistad Research Center. It is the responsibility of an author to secure permission for publication from the holder of the copyright to any material contained in this collection.