Exercise: William Lloyd Garrison and Abolitionism

Instructions: Navigate your browser to the text of Garrison's editorial from the December 29, 1832 issue of The Liberator , entitled “On the Constitution and the Union.” It is available from the fair-use.org repository at the URL below. Read the editorial, then answer the following questions.

Visit URL:  http://fair-use.org/the-liberator/1832/12/29/on-the-constitution-and-the-union

Question 1:  How does the tone of this editorial compare with discussions of slavery that occurred before 1830 (like those of Thomas Jefferson, for example)? What made Garrison so radical by the standards of the time?

Question 2:  In what specific ways does Garrison condemn the U.S. Constitution? Why do you think he spends so much time and energy addressing this document? What is he trying to accomplish, in your estimation?

Question 3:  What does Garrison have to say to northerners about their role in upholding slavery? How do you think his message was received in the North?

Question 4:  In what ways does Garrison defend his tactics? How does he defend himself against accusations of being an extremist?

Question 5:  Why do you think Garrison chose to use the rhetoric, tone, and arguments that he employed here? What effects do you think he wanted this editorial to have? Do you think that this radical and confrontational style would have been the best way to accomplish those goals? Why or why not?