Henry Highland Garnet's "Address to the Slaves"

Word spread quickly about Garnet's address at the 1843 National Colored Convention. Reactions were mixed with some applauding it and others denouncing it. In a published letter, abolitionist Maria W. Chapman condemned the address. While we do not have a record of her letter, we do have Garnet's biting response to Chapman. Likewise, William Wells Brown expressed his concerns about Garnet's address and felt that it misrepresented the national convention.

Reactions to Garnet's polarizing address seemed to have abated by 1844. However, four years later, Garnet's 1843 address was published and advertised in The North Star multiple times, suggesting that there was renewed interest in more radical views. Garnet traveled all over the US and abroad to deliver addresses. Later articles about him note his 1843 address and laud his excellent oratorical skills. 

Below is a map that shows where newspaper articles about Garnet's address appeared. 

 Clicking on this pictured icon lets the user to filter the news by time period. 

Each newspaper icon includes a snippet and a complete copy of the article.

Page contributed by Samantha de Vera.