William Lloyd Garrison
Birth: December 12, 1805, Newburyport, Massachusetts
Death: May 24, 1879, New York, New York
Burial site: Roxbury, Massachusetts
“
I will be harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as
justice. On the subject, I do not wish to think, or
speak, or write with moderation. No! No! Tell a
man whose house is on fire to give a moderate
alarm...but urge me not to use moderation in a
cause like the present. I am in earnest – I will not
equivocate – I will not excuse – I will not retreat a
single inch – AND I WILL BE HEARD.
”
G– ofarrison’s
abolition work was that of journalism
getting a controversial perspective to the public
eye and ear through writing and speaking. Although
frequently reviled even in the North, he claimed that
hisses were music to his ears. His moral suasion tactic
kept people aware of the horrible injustice of slavery.
Garrison was a powerful example of one whose
emotional committment to a moral revolution was
unswerving. Today we recognize his emphasis on the
need for moral commitment to equality.
Sponsor of Banner:
,
a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities
Norman K. Dann, Peterboro, N.Y.
The National Abolition
Hall of Fame
Peterboro, New York