Food for Thought

We were glad to see almost 100 people come out for the event, and we hope you took away from the film and the panel discussion some new insights into the abolition movement in the United States as well as the larger international reform movements of the era.  Thank you for attending, and for stopping by our blog.


Some interesting questions that were raised during the event are worth noting here for further reflection:

-We talked about differences in slavery in Africa, the Spanish colonies, and the English colonies, and how legal and social proscriptions for the institution of slavery varied between the European empires of the colonial era.  How did those variations develop into chattel slavery, or a racial and inherited status of slavery, in the American South?  Do you think there were differences in areas of the United States that had a stronger Spanish or French influence for longer periods of time?

-Another topic that came up in the question and answer session was the prevalence of racism in the United States, even today.  In the video, do you remember how crowds responded to the abolitionists' message in Philadelphia and in Boston?  Was the backlash isolated to the South, or was racism prevalent throughout the antebellum United States?  (Remember the mob violence threatened against Garrison in Boston, and Elijah Lovejoy who was attacked and murdered in Illinois?)

-The film briefly mentioned two historical figures who play a significant role in the abolitionist movement in the 1850s, which we were not able to discuss in the time we had.  Harriet Beecher's experience (better known as Harriet Beecher Stowe) of a slave sale in Kentucky influenced her writing of a book that became a national and international bestseller after 1852: Uncle Tom's Cabin.  The book's vivid depiction of slave life drew many to the abolition cause.  The second figure mentioned was John Brown, who later was involved with the violence over slavery along the Kansas-Missouri border and in Virginia.

In the coming weeks we will be posting short follow-up essays on these individuals, as well as other related topics to this event, by the panelists and other guest bloggers.  Please check back regularly to learn more!