The Abolitionists
The story of how abolitionist allies William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown and Angelina Grimke turned a despised fringe movement against chattel slavery into a force that literally changed the nation.
Previews + Extras
Slavery and the Mexican-American War
S25 E12 - 1m 10s
The Mexican-American war (1846-1848) changed the slavery debate. It almost doubled the size of the United States and began a debate, between Northerners and Southerners, over what to do with the newly acquired land.
What Was the Dred Scott Decision?
S25 E12 - 2m
In 1857 the Supreme Court ruled against Dred Scott, a slave who sought freedom via the courts. With the ruling the Court radically altered not just the battle over slavery, but the status of every black person in America.
John Brown Puts His Accusers on Trial
S25 E12 - 2m 21s
In 1859 John Brown went on trial for the raid on Harpers Ferry. The raid itself had failed, but Brown successfully brought attention his cause.
William Lloyd Garrison, Pacifism, and Abolitionism
S25 E12 - 1m 7s
By 1859, the conflict between North and South challenged Garrison's "peace man" status.
Lincoln's Uncertain Commitment to Emancipation
S25 E12 - 1m 46s
Would President Lincoln sign the Emancipation Proclamation? Abolitionists were unsure.
The Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War
S25 E12 - 1m 39s
In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation pulled abolitionists like the former slave Frederick Douglass and the pacifist William Lloyd Garrison into full support of the war.
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