The Franklin Mint History Of The United States, 1776-1973
Manufacturer
The Franklin Mint
CultureAmerican
DateNo Date
MediumSilver
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/4 in. (45 mm.)
Credit LineGift of Dr. Eugene F. Poutasse
Object number76.81.56
Not on view
DescriptionOne of collection of 200 silver medals.The 1831 medal: "The Liberator" Published to Fight Slavery
After the Missouri Compromise of 1820, slavery came to be accepted more or less as a necessary evil that could be abolished only gradually. This tepid course suddenly ended on January 1, 1831 when William Lloyd Garrison began publication of his abolitionist newspaper, "The Liberator." Never moderate in tone, it demanded the immediate emancipation of Negro slaves without compensation to the owners.
Its influence was far greater than might be expected from its circulation, which never exceeded 3000 copies, and was never a financial success. By the end of the decade several hundred local anti-slavery societies had been organized, publishing a couple dozen abolitionist journals, and boasting thousands of members.
Born in 1805, Garrison was apprenticed to be a printer at fourteen, and until he began "The Liberator," he worked as a printer or editor on several papers. His aims were vindicated by Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War and "The Liberator" ceased publication at the end of 1865, its mission accomplished. Long poor, a sum of $30,000 was raised by his associates as a testimony of their appreciation, and after his death in 1879, the city of Boston erected a statue in his memory.
