American Anti-Slavery Society founded in Philadelphia

Background. The American Anti-Slavery Society formed in 1833 in response to the nullification crisis and the failures of existing anti-slavery organizations, such as the American Colonization Society. Agitation over slavery had increased with the publication of David Walker's Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World in 1829, Nat Turner's slave rebellion in 1831, and Andrew Jackson's handling of the nullification crisis that same year. A convention of abolitionists was called for December 4, 1833, at the Adelphi Building in Philadelphia; between December 4 and 6, sixty delegates from New England, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and New Jersey convened a National Anti-Slavery Convention in that city.

Declaration and Principles. The society espoused the position that slavery should be abolished immediately rather than gradually. Its purpose was the conversion of Americans to the philosophy that slaveholding was a heinous crime requiring immediate abandonment without expatriation. This stance rejected the gradualist views and colonization proposals that had characterized earlier anti-slavery efforts, marking a shift toward uncompensated emancipation.

Founders and Attendees. William Lloyd Garrison was one of the original founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833. Only white women were invited to the original 1833 gathering of the organization, and even they were not allowed to participate in an active role. Lucretia Mott, Lydia White, Esther Moore, and Sidney Ann Lewis attended on December 4, 1833, but none were able to sign the Constitution that day.

Context and Formation. The American Anti-Slavery Society's origins lay in the New-England Anti-Slavery Society, which Garrison organized by January 1832 after attracting enough followers; by the following summer that society had dozens of affiliates and several thousand members. According to the supplied account, this society expanded into the American Anti-Slavery Society, which espoused immediate rather than gradual abolition. The new organization's formation was also shaped by the nullification crisis and dissatisfaction with the American Colonization Society's approach.