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David Walker and William Lloyd Garrison Writings to End Slavery

In the first quarter of the 19th century, slavery was increasing in the south thus there came people who called for the end of slavery and white supremacy. The Abolitionist movement was a movement established in the early 19th century with the main aim being to end slavery. Among the abolitionist include; Fredrick Douglas, Harriet Beecher, William Lloyd Garrison and David Walker. William Garrison and David Walker did some writings addressed to the Americans and were inspired by the Second Great Awakening which made many Americans to see slavery as a sin and an inhuman act (Scott, pg. 4). Garrison and David Walker wrote writings on Abolitionist movement and their ideas on slavery. The paper is going to give a review on Walker and Garrison’s writing and how they reflect the abolitionist ideas and methodologies during the 19th century. The writing of these two also have similarities and differences.

The ideas and writings of David Walker reflect the abolitionists ideologies in the sense that they all advocated for an end to slavery in America. It was a high time for the whites to stop abusing the people of color and treat them like any other humans. Racial discrimination was at peak in the 1820s and 30s where the whites viewed themselves to be more important than the people of color. According to the Writings of Garrison and Walker, they were for the idea that slavery was to come to an end and the whites had to treat other races with respect since they have shed more blood struggling for America’s independence (Walker, pg. 1). Just like many Northerners, Garrison and David Walker wanted slavery practiced by majority of the southerners stopped in a peaceful way.

The southerners viewed slavery as a necessary evil, but were aware they needed to stop this kind of evil but lacked a peaceful way to do it. William Lloyd Garrison was a white from the North who wanted slavery to come to an end by writing about what the religion said about fair treatment. The abolishment movement viewed slavery as oppression to the blacks, the two writers were also for the idea and wanted the Southerners to stop slavery as soon as possible. In the North slavery was not a priority unlike the southerners who knew the importance of slavery thus lacked a better way to end slavery without disrupting their society and economy (Scott, pg. 6). Despite the importance of slaves to the Whites in the south, Abolitionists including David Walker and William Garrison continued to pressure them to end it in their writings and magazines.

The two were for the abolitionist idea that the slaves had suffered enough and it was time to free them. America was independent and everyone was to be free since the country was free from colonial rule. To the abolitionists; Walker and Garrison, the Southerners were not being fare to the Colored Americans who help fight for the country during the American revolution. It was so inhuman to practice slavery on them yet a lot of blood was shed to see America is free. In their writings all the two wanted was for an end in slavery and there to be equality in America a country that does not discriminate basing on race and color but a country that views everyone as equal. This was some of the goals of the abolitionists movement; to end slavery and racial discrimination, thus Walker and Garrison helped to demand for this in their writings.

The two had similarities in their writings that is they all called for an end to slavery and better treatment of the black community. The two were from the North even though Garrison was a white and Walker was a black American, they also communicated on the idea of slavery through writing. The two base their arguments from the American declaration on independence, “that all men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The both give this quote in their writings and concluded that if we believe that all men are equal then slaves should not be an exception. They both called for a peaceful end to slavery refereeing to religion and human rights. Also a key similarity in their writings is that they both speak from experiences and what they happen to have witness. According to William Walker, he says, “Oppression! I have seen thee, face to face,” (Garrison, William Lloyd pg. 1). Similar words are also said by David Walker in his writing, “I do not speak from hear say—what I have written, is what I have seen and heard myself,” (Walker, pg. 1). This implies that the two are speaking from a point of experience and have an evidence to what they are saying.

Despite the same agenda, the two have differences, first one is black and the other is a white thus William is trying to speak for another race while David Walker is speaking for his own people including himself. David Walker was born to a slave father thus he clearly understands the pinch of slavery.  Due to these differences, we see William referring to “they” in his piece (Garrison, pg. 1), while David refers to “us” (Walker, pg., 1). Garrisons letter was to the public and mainly addressed to those who practiced slavery while David Walker’s was an appeal to the people of color to whom majority were slaves.

Conclusively, David Walker and William Garrison’s writings had a major impact on how people viewed slavery despite of the resistance that abolitionist movement had received at first. With time more whites especial from the North begun to feel the urge to end slavery in the nation and that is was not a good thing. The foundation established by the two writers encouraged antislavery sentiment and more people came out to call for an end in slavery.

Work Cited

Class readings

Garrison, William Lloyd. William Lloyd Garrison and the Fight Against Slavery: Selections from The Liberator. Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press, 1995.

Scott, Otto J. The Secret Six: John Brown and the Abolitionist Movement. Uncommon Books, 1979.

Walker, David. “Walker’s Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Coloured Citizens of the World… (Boston, 1830).” (1830).