Anti-Slavery Pioneer / Schisms

Anti-Slavery Pioneer, also, Schisms. . , Anti-Slavery Pioneer ,

"That this abomination … must be abolished is as clear as the shining of the sun at noon-day." , Benjamin Lundy, from the front page of the first issue of the Genius of Universal Emancipation, 1821.

, Benjamin Lundy witnessed the cruelty of slavery while working as a saddlemaker’s apprentice in Wheeling, West Virginia. Vowing “to break at least one link of that ponderous chain of oppression,” Lundy became one of the most respected abolitionists of his time., Lundy found success in organizing an anti-slavery group that quickly grew to 500 members, but his real weapon against slavery was the press. He initially collaborated with Charles Osborne in publishing The Philanthropist. He went on to write the manuscript for the Genius of Universal Emancipation from his home in Mount Pleasant., The success of his publication brought Lundy much attention. Believing his work would have greater influence in the urban East, Lundy eventually moved his operation to Baltimore., [Sidebar:] , Colonization , Unlike many of his fellow abolitionists, Lundy believed that enslaved Africans could never lead a rewarding life in America. He ardently supported a program of providing freed slaves with a home outside the United States. Although Africa was an obvious site for the proposed emigration, he also advocated Haiti, Ontario, and the Mexican State of Texas., [Captions:] ,

"Benjamin Lundy deserves the high honor of ranking as the pioneer of direct and distinctive Anti-Slaveryism in America." , Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune

, Although it was written in Mount Pleasant, the first issue of the Genius of Universal Emancipation was published in Steubenville. Lundy walked the manuscript to the printer and carried the papers back home on his shoulders., Banner image: Opposition to slavery took many forms in the United States. In northern states like Ohio, many sympathetic whites aided fugitive slaves in their escape from the south., Schisms , Quakers at yearly meetings dealt with serious issues. In 1828, Elias Hicks challenged the beliefs of many Quakers throughout the United States by rejecting the idea that the Bible was the sole authority of Christians. In Mount Pleasant, the meeting broke into a riot pitting Hicks’ supporters against their fellow Quakers. This schism split the Quakers into two groups, each holding separate meetings here in Mount Pleasant., Another schism took place among Orthodox Quakers a quarter century later. As revivals swept the nation, Joseph Gurney began teaching an evangelical interpretation of Quaker beliefs. John Wilbur countered this movement with an adherence to traditional teachings. Conservative and evangelical Quakers were deeply divided. In 1854, the Orthodox Quakers in Ohio split between the Gurneyites and the Wilburites., Three major groups resulted from these tumultuous events: the Hicksites, Gurneyites, and Wilburites. The roots of today’s modern Quaker religion were formed by these three sects., [Sidebar:] , The Yearly Meeting , With the completion of the meetinghouse in 1815, Quakers from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana gathered here for the Ohio Yearly Meeting. Thousands arrived in Mount Pleasant every August and the village took on a festival appearance., Accommodating the influx of Quakers was a challenge. Many people slept six to a room while others stayed on farms miles away. In later years, the Mount Pleasant Boarding School was open to meeting attendees., [Caption:] , The Mount Pleasant Boarding School opened in 1837. Many Quakers attending yearly meeting stayed here. Ownership of the school was called into question following the schism between the Wilburites and the Gurneyites. It was destroyed by fire in 1875.