Final issue of The Liberator published in Boston

Background. The Liberator was a weekly abolitionist newspaper printed and published in Boston by William Lloyd Garrison. It ran continuously for 35 years, from January 1, 1831, to its final issue in December 1865. Garrison founded the paper in 1831 as a means to bring about political change, publishing it until slavery was abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment.

Final Issue. Garrison published the last issue, number 1,820, on December 29, 1865. He wrote a "Valedictory" column to close the newspaper's run. This occurred after the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery by the Thirteenth Amendment, prompting Garrison to withdraw from the American Anti-Slavery Society and end publication.

Context. The newspaper's closure followed the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery throughout the United States. Garrison had announced in May 1865 that he would resign the presidency of the American Anti-Slavery Society and dissolve the society, viewing the struggle against slavery as victorious.