New Acquisition: Anti-Slavery Literature

The Monthly Offering, edited by John A. Collins and alive with contributions by notable abolitionists, including William Lloyd Garrison and Maria Weston Chapman, is an historical abolitionist periodical published between July 1840 and December 1841.  The acquisition of the Monthly Offering by University of Oregon Special Collections and University Archives contains a complete collection of the twelve-issue periodical.

The Monthly Offering falls in the era of the second phase of the Abolitionist Movement.  The advent of the cotton gin and the development of the cotton industry, as well as an evolving technological landscape of the American states, offered a keen opportunity to continue the exploitation and enslavement of African Americans to support a changing economy.  Key organizations and key initiatives emerged as the Abolitionist Movement grew, one of which was the American Anti-slavery Society (AAS) (McCartney, 1992).  The AAS stemmed from the abolitionist publication, the Liberator, edited by William Lloyd Garrison, a close cohort of John A. Collins and an active abolitionist who professed slavery should be embattled with only “the sword of the spirit” (McCartney, 1992, p. 37).  Garrison’s peaceful plea may be reflected in his attraction to the wielding of the written word in abolitionist literature.  The AAS, of which both Collins and Garrison were members, called for political action, although the manifestation of which was poorly or confusedly conceived (McCartney, 1992).  Collins held several leadership positions, most prominently Vice President, in the Boston branch of the AAS, the Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society.  While in service to the AAS, Collins edited not only the Monthly Offering, but another abolitionist newspaper publication, the Monthly Garland (James E. Arsenault & Company, 2020).

The contents of the Monthly Offering were varied and instrumental.  Included were pieces of abolitionist literature, the sharing of abolitionist events, and perhaps most interestingly, the inclusion of slave narratives.  Collins desired for the wealthy and plebeians alike to afford access to the publication.  The inaugural issue promised the periodical “could be afforded so low that every one might procure it, who had a desire to become acquainted with the nature and influence of slavery, and the means employed for its removal” (James E. Arsenault & Company, 2020). Narratives comprised of memoir, autobiography, and other forms of testimony by slaves speak personal truths of experiences of slavery.  Abolitionists published slave narratives in abolitionist literature to further fuel the fire of opposition to the institution of slavery (Trap, 2011).  The Monthly Offering, as conceived and implemented by Collins, Garrison, and others, perhaps contributed to the political action called for by the members of the AAS, for struggles may be muscled by words and action, a deftness of the tongue.

The Bible Against Slavery by Stephen M. Vail also hailed from the era of the second phase of the Abolitionist Movement.  Stephen M. Vail served as Professor of Biblical and Oriental Literature in the Methodist General Biblical Institute of Concord, New Hampshire.  The Bible Against Slavery is an impassioned analysis of the Bible and slavery.  The title page has the statement, “Replies to the ‘Bible view of slavery.’ By John H. Hopkins, D. D., Diocese of Vermont; and to “A Northern Presbyter’s second letter to ministers of the Gospel,’ by Nathan Lord, D. D., late president of Dartmouth College; and to ‘X,’ of the New Hampshire Patriot.”  The seminal work by Vail has been reproduced from its antiquarian form to modern format in order to preserve the historical content of the document and to promote accessibility.  The following is an excerpt from the Bible Against Slavery written by Stephen M. Vail revealing of Vail’s conceptions of the relationship between the Bible and slavery:

As a christian [sic] nation receiving the Holy Scriptures as our guide, it becomes a grave inquiry what saith the Scriptures on this question? If the Bible is against slavery it is important to know it. If the Bible be found, after all the efforts of slavery, to be on the side of Freedom it will be a confirmation of its Divinity to the minds of millions, and the Bible will be dearer than ever to the hearts of all mankind. If as many have claimed, it be against human liberty and in favor of oppression, the inference will continue to be drawn by thousands that it is not from heaven. My own belief is that it has been greatly misunderstood, —and such has been the traditional power of slavery over us, that as yet we have only faintly apprehended the truth, —that the Bible is always and every where [sic] against slavery.  (Vail, 1864)

Special Collections and University Archives serves as a historical repository of materials, some of which may be considered prejudiced, stereotyped or offensive. Historical data is an important resource in the study of contemporary and past cultures. As such, we take our responsibilities in preserving and cataloging such material seriously and provide access for the purpose of scholarly research and study.

Sources

James E. Arsenault & Company. (2020). The organ of the Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society. James E. Arsenault & Company. https://jamesarsenaultcom

McCartney, J. T. (1992). Black power ideologies. Temple University Press.

Trap, D. (2011). Slave narratives. In J. C. Inscoe (Ed.), The Civil War in Georgia: A new Georgia encyclopedia companion (pp. 244-248). University of Georgia Press.

Vail, S. M., D. D. (1864). Bible Against Slavery. Fogg, Hadley & Co., Printers.

Written by Alexandra Mueller (Special Projects Archivist)