How many of you may not know me? My name is William Lloyd Garrison. I am a man from the New England area who had to learn how to support and educate myself after my father left me at age 11. By the time I was 13, I was in an apprenticeship with a printer and published a newspaper. I first joined the abolition movement at age 25. For most of my life, I have been constantly trying to end slavery. I even spent some time in jail for lying to a Newbury port merchant engaged in the coastal slave trade. Soon after my release, I published an article known as The Liberator. This article instantly became a controversial topic that spoke out against slavery in England and the United States. I start this article with a vital, clear purpose. Here are the first words: "I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation.… I am in earnest—I will not equivocate—I will not excuse—I will not retreat a single inch—AND I WILL BE HEARD."
A year later, I founded the New England Anti-Slavery Society, and one more year after that, I founded the American anti-slavery society. Many of you here may wonder why I started all these anti-slavery organizations and wrote the Liberator. I had many talks with many black abolitionists and black Americans in general. Yes, Black Americans because that is who they are; they are Americans, and as Americans, they deserve the rights and social equity that other Americans have. Because of that, I continued to publish the Liberator every week for 35 years to speak out against this awful slave trade in this country.
Without giving black Americans any rights, it's a disgrace to our country and national.
Sin to it as well. Enslavers have threatened me to be more moderate or to watch what I'm saying. Many of you may think that was bad for me, but I know that means they were getting scared. From that moment, my statements on slavery became more uncompromising towards the South. To the owner who told me to stop, I replied that slavery is a monster and should be treated as such. I used the newspaper to spread awareness and tell the rest of America what evil was happening in our country. I could not see how anyone on this earth could see why slavery is moral. That is why I could not stop writing. My morals would not let me. I believe in the Declaration of Independence, and when it said, "All men are created equal," it did not say all white men are created equal. It told all men that if they do not make changes soon, this will be the biggest insult to the Declaration of Independence we have done to this date. I led this effort to stop slavery and will not stop until it is done.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1561.html
https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Lloyd-Garrison
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