ePub The Meaning of Masonry by W. L. Wilmshurst in History

Description

Challenging traditional histories of abolition; this book shifts the focus away from the East to show how the women of Ohio; Indiana; Illinois; Michigan; and Wisconsin helped build a vibrant antislavery movement in the Old Northwest. Stacey Robertson argues that the environment of the Old Northwest--with its own complicated history of slavery and racism--created a uniquely collaborative and flexible approach to abolitionism. Western women helped build this local focus through their unusual and occasionally transgressive activities. They plunged into Liberty Party politics; vociferously supported a Quaker-led boycott of slave goods; and tirelessly aided fugitives and free blacks in their communities. Western women worked closely with male abolitionists; belying the notion of separate spheres that characterized abolitionism in the East. The contested history of race relations in the West also affected the development of abolitionism in the region; necessitating a pragmatic bent in their activities. Female antislavery societies focused on eliminating racist laws; aiding fugitive slaves; and building and sustaining schools for blacks. This approach required that abolitionists of all stripes work together; and women proved especially adept at such cooperation.