Means and Ends in American Abolitionism: Garrison and His Critics on Strategy and Tatics 1834-1850

by Aileen S. Kraditor

The debate among those who sought to abolish slavery in America was a crucial one in the history of the nation, for it raised a great many questions we are still debating. Reading Ms. Kraditor's study of the abolitionists' thinking on the goals, strategy, and tactics of their cause, the modern reader can hardly escape seeing parallels with present-day politics and protest movements. Ms. Kraditor focuses on arguments over the role of women in the Anti-Slavery Society, over religion, and over political action. She sees a struggle between "respectability" and radical action which continues to reverberate. "From first to last this lucid, important book challenges preconceptions. Obviously Professor Kraditor intends to provoke critical reexamination of many points she raises, and in this she is brilliantly successful.... Her book is a fruitful exploration into the history of a great movement."―Harold M. Hyman, Book World . "Original, perceptive, provocative."― American Historical Review

Genres: History

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1934

Reviews

[Maughn Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I happened onto this amazing book at the unimpressive little bookstore in the historic district of Harper's Ferry. It's another must-read for the genealogy of non-violent social justice movements. I was endlessly fascinated by the complex conceptual confusions, political dilemmas, religious disagreements and practical troubles the American abolitionists had to work through. I was especially moved by the relentless choices they confronted about how far to compromise principle for expediency -- i.e., which kinds of compromise would further or diminish their cause. Kraditor is very sympathetic to Garrison and defends him against historians of her time (the 1960s) who portrayed him as a dangerous extremist or a religious fool. The more I read, the more I kind of hero-worship him.

Here are some of the most interesting points covered in the book:

Eminent transcendentalists who sought and privileged individual, inner meaning, were, for that reason, not very active abolitionists.

William Lloyd Garrison and his followers pre-figured Gandhi's aim of converting the hearts and minds of oppressors and, also, therefore, his refusal to use even political force against them and his reliance on propagandist work.

Calls for the immediate and unconditional end to slavery, for the North's disunion from the South, and for Christian perfectionism were all consciousness-raising tactics made by Garrison and others who did not believe they would happen.

Whether legislation, boycott, ad hominem criticism and/or block voting were forms of "force" that worked against the aim of conversion, were issues of intense debate among the American abolitionists.

Most Northerners, who were anti-slavery, were NOT in favor of civil rights or economic opportunity for blacks; so much of the propaganda work of abolitionists was directed against Northern white supremacy.

Much of the disagreement that resulted in the fracturing of the abolitionist movement into non-cooperative sects had to do with the role of women in the movement and the extent to which other causes such as women's liberation, economic justice for working class whites, anti-clericalism, prohibition and other reforms should be combined with the movement for abolition.

Abolitionists disagreed vehemently among themselves as to whether the US Constitution protected slavery and used their interpretation of it to argue for or against "dis-unionism" - the call for the North to dissolve the Union in order to end its complicity with slavery.

American abolitionists conceived of slavery in terms of personal morality and failed to understand it systematic nature (as class warfare). This was both a consequence and a cause of their aim to convert slaveholders individually. It also explains their failure to join the labor movement when invited to do so.

[Jason Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kraditor is an apologist for William Lloyd Garrison. Part of what this means is that she lets “Garrisonians” speak for him, rather than allowing him to speak exclusively for himself. Clearly Garrison was capable of speaking for himself, having edited the Liberator for 30 years and spoken at innumerable Anti-Slavery meetings. But in order to sustain her claim that the factionalism endemic in the abolitionist movement was not due to Garrison’s strident rhetoric and savior complex, she brings others forward to speak alongside Garrison.

In this, she draws attention away from the role of Garrison’s personality to the movement’s successes - and schisms - and from the role of his view of himself as a self-taught outsider in fueling the stridency and idiosyncrasy of his views. And for all of the strengths of her coverage, she seems to understate the radically RELIGIOUS character of Garrison and the abolitionists. He really believed he was John the Baptist, he really believed he was a second Luther bringing about a new Reformation.

Kraditor says nothing about Reformation because she is an apologist for “radicalism”. Her goal is to draw lessons from Garrisonians for other radical reform movements; her earlier work is on women’s movements. That is fine as a goal, but it says something about the theological illiteracy or tone deafness of the Academy that her work, for all its strengths, is given such a central place in scholarship on Garrison.

[James Monaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is currently my favourite history book of all time. For a specialist work it's extremely accessible and well written. It's also extremely inspiring and radicalising if you're willing to draw analogies with present debates.

[Sam Diener · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books analyzing a social movement I've ever read. The way this book enlivens dilemmas between radical vision and liberal practicality; between the potential of a single issue focus for broad appeal vs. the ethical consistency of principled multi-issue organizing; and between working outside the system to change attitudes vs. working for political office and legislative reforms; between nonviolent and violent tactics for social change; between anti-racism and anti-sexism; is all just unparalleled.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book. The narrow focus allows the author to go into great depth. The author's premise is that to understand the political strategy and tactics of Garrison and contemporaries that pursued different strategic and tactical choices, you must understand the underlying philosophies or political theories or religious commitments that motivated them. The implications for our day are nothing short of profound.