Anti-Slavery Almanac

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2004

Booklet, THE AMERICAN ANTI-SLAVERY ALMANAC FOR 1839, 48 pages, octavo, 1839, published for the American Anti-Slavery Society, Boston and New York. As expected, this is a non-nonsense indictment of the "peculiar institution". The almanac's main essay, "WHAT HAVE THE FREE STATES TO DO WITH SLAVERY?", reads in small part as follows: "...The free states have always had a majority in Congress--consequently the power and responsibility. How have we used this power? We have maintained slavery and the slave trade at the seat of government for 48 years -- legalized slave auctions there -- built prisons and hired jailers to keep safely runaway slaves and kidnapped free blacks, and sold both for jail fees -- adopted laws inflicting death on a slave who breaks into a storehouse and steals five shillings worth of tobacco, and ordaining that a slave setting fire to a building, shall have his head cut off, his body cut into quarters...". accompanying the fiery text are 11 woodcuts depicting slavery and its effects upon society. An excellent piece of abolitionist literature. Some soiling, ships, and folds. Overall VG condition.

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