Reverend Nathaniel Paul's 1827 Speech on the Occasion of New York's Abolition of Slavery

In 1827 Rev. Nathaniel Paul, a minister of The First African Baptist Society in the city of Albany, New York, hails the final abolition of slavery in that state.  His address  given on July 5, 1827 in Albany marks that occasion.  The address appears below.

We look forward with pleasing anticipation to that period, when it shall no longer be said that in a land of freemen there are men in bondage, but when this foul stain will be entirely erased, and this, worst of evils, will be forever done way. The progress of emancipation, though slow, is nevertheless certain: It is certain, because that God who has made of one blood all nations of men, and who is said to be no respecter of persons, has so decreed; I therefore have no hesitation in declaring this sacred place, that not only throughout the United States of America, but throughout every part of the habitable world where slavery exists, it will be abolished. However great may be the opposition of those who are supported by the traffic, yet slavery will cease. The lordly planter who has his thousands in bondage, may stretch himself upon his couch of ivory, and sneer at the exertions which are made by the humane and benevolent, or he may take his stand upon the floor of Congress, and mock the pitiful generosity of the east or west for daring to meddle with the subject, and attempting to expose its injustice: he may threaten to resist all efforts for a general or a partial emancipation even to a dissolution of the union. But still I declare that slavery will be extinct; a universal and not a partial emancipation must take place; nor is the period far distant. The indefatigable exertions of the philanthropists in England to have it abolished in their West India Islands, the recent revolutions in South America, the catastrope and exchange of power in the Isle of Hayti, the restless disposition of both master and slave in the southern states, the constitution of our government, the effects of literary and moral instruction, the generous feelings of the pious and benevolent, the influence and spread of the holy religion of the cross of Christ, and the irrevocable decrees of Almighty God, all combine their efforts and with united voice declare, that the power of tyranny must be subdued, the captive must be liberated, the oppressed go free, and slavery must revert back to its original chaos of darkness, and forever annihilated from the earth. Did I believe that it would always continue, and that man to the end of time would be permitted with impunity to usurp the same undue authority over his fellow, I would disallow any allegiance or obligation I was under to my fellow creatures, or any submission that I owed to the laws of my country; I would deny the superintending power of divine providence in the affairs of his life; I would ridicule the religion of the Saviour of the world, and treat as the worst of men the ministers of an everlasting gospel; I would consider my Bible as a book of false and delusive fables, and commit it to the flames; nay, I would still go farther; I would at once confess myself an atheist, and deny the existence of a holy God. But slavery will cease, and the equal rights of man will be universally acknowledged. Nor is its tardy progress any argument against its final accomplishment. But do I hear it loudly responded,—this is but a mere wild fanaticism, or at best but the misguided conjecture of an untutored descendant of Africa. Be it so, I confess my ignorance, and bow with due deference to my superiors in understanding; but if in this case I err, the error is not peculiar to myself; if I wander, I wander in a region of light from whose political hemisphere the sun of liberty pours forth his refulgent rays, around which dazzle the star-like countenances of Clarkson, Wilberforce, Pitt, Fox and Grenville, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hancock and Franklin; if I err, it is their sentiments that have caused me to stray….We do well to remember, that every act of ours is more or less connected with the general cause of emancipation. Our conduct has an important bearing, not only on those who are yet in bondage in this country, but its influence is extended to the isles of India, and to every part of the world where the abomination of slavery is known. Let us then relieve ourselves from the odious stigma which some have long since cast upon us, that we were incapacitated by the God of nature, for the enjoyment of the rights of freemen, and convince them and the world that although our complexion may differ, yet we have hearts susceptible of feeling; judgment capable of discerning, and prudence sufficient to manage our affairs with discretion, and by example prove ourselves worthy the blessings we enjoy.

In 1827 Rev. Nathaniel Paul, a minister in Albany, New York, hails the final abolition of slavery in that state.  His address  given on July 5, 1827 in Albany marks that occassion.  The address appears below. 
We look forward with pleasing anticipation to that period, when it shall no longer be said that in a land of freemen there are men in bondage, but when this foul stain will be entirely erased, and this, worst of evils, will be forever done way. The progress of emancipation, though slow, is nevertheless certain: It is certain, because that God who has made of one blood all nations of men, and who is said to be no respecter of persons, has so decreed; I therefore have no hesitation in declaring this sacred place, that not only throughout the United States of America, but throughout every part of the habitable world where slavery exists, it will be abolished. However great may be the opposition of those who are supported by the traffic, yet slavery will cease. The lordly planter who has his thousands in bondage, may stretch himself upon his couch of ivory, and sneer at the exertions which are made by the humane and benevolent, or he may take his stand upon the floor of Congress, and mock the pitiful generosity of the east or west for daring to meddle with the subject, and attempting to expose its injustice: he may threaten to resist all efforts for a general or a partial emancipation even to a dissolution of the union. But still I declare that slavery will be extinct; a universal and not a partial emancipation must take place; nor is the period far distant. The indefatigable exertions of the philanthropists in England to have it abolished in their West India Islands, the recent revolutions in South America, the catastrope and exchange of power in the Isle of Hayti, the restless disposition of both master and slave in the southern states, the constitution of our government, the effects of literary and moral instruction, the generous feelings of the pious and benevolent, the influence and spread of the holy religion of the cross of Christ, and the irrevocable decrees of Almighty God, all combine their efforts and with united voice declare, that the power of tyranny must be subdued, the captive must be liberated, the oppressed go free, and slavery must revert back to its original chaos of darkness, and forever annihilated from the earth. Did I believe that it would always continue, and that man to the end of time would be permitted with impunity to usurp the same undue authority over his fellow, I would disallow any allegiance or obligation I was under to my fellow creatures, or any submission that I owed to the laws of my country; I would deny the superintending power of divine providence in the affairs of his life; I would ridicule the religion of the Saviour of the world, and treat as the worst of men the ministers of an everlasting gospel; I would consider my Bible as a book of false and delusive fables, and commit it to the flames; nay, I would still go farther; I would at once confess myself an atheist, and deny the existence of a holy God. But slavery will cease, and the equal rights of man will be universally acknowledged. Nor is its tardy progress any argument against its final accomplishment. But do I hear it loudly responded,—this is but a mere wild fanaticism, or at best but the misguided conjecture of an untutored descendant of Africa. Be it so, I confess my ignorance, and bow with due deference to my superiors in understanding; but if in this case I err, the error is not peculiar to myself; if I wander, I wander in a region of light from whose political hemisphere the sun of liberty pours forth his refulgent rays, around which dazzle the star-like countenances of Clarkson, Wilberforce, Pitt, Fox and Grenville, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hancock and Franklin; if I err, it is their sentiments that have caused me to stray….We do well to remember, that every act of ours is more or less connected with the general cause of emancipation. Our conduct has an important bearing, not only on those who are yet in bondage in this country, but its influence is extended to the isles of India, and to every part of the world where the abomination of slavery is known. Let us then relieve ourselves from the odious stigma which some have long since cast upon us, that we were incapacitated by the God of nature, for the enjoyment of the rights of freemen, and convince them and the world that although our complexion may differ, yet we have hearts susceptible of feeling; judgment capable of discerning, and prudence sufficient to manage our affairs with discretion, and by example prove ourselves worthy the blessings we enjoy.
- See more at: http://www.blackpast.org/1827-rev-nathaniel-paul-hails-end-slavery-new-york#sthash.vJ51QYkI.dpuf

Alain LeRoy Locke: The Father of the Harlem Renaissance

Photo of Alain Leroy Locke (b. 9/13/1885 - d. 6/9/1954)

Alain Leroy Locke was born on September 13, 1885 in Philadelphia, the only child of Pliny Ishmael Locke and Mary Hawkins Locke. His father was a schoolteacher and graduate of Howard University Law School. In his youth, Locke struggled with rheumatic fever, which left him with permanent heart damage. This condition physically restricted him and led him to pursue more greatly the quieter intellectual activities of reading and studying.

Locke attended Central High School in Philadelphia from 1898 to 1902. He graduated first in his class from Philadelphia School of Pedagogy, a teacher's college, where he earned a Bachelor's degree. He completed Harvard College's four-year course in three years. By 1907, Locke received his Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and earned the prestigious Bowdoin Prize for an English essay. Additionally, he was selected as the first person of African descent to receive the distinction of Rhodes Scholar from Oxford University -- after rigorous  examinations in Greek, Latin and mathematics.

From 1910 to 1911, Locke began studying at the University of Berlin as a graduate student. He started writing about racism, African colonialism and the arts while studying in Europe. In 1912, Locke returned to the United States and joined the faculty of Howard University where he would later become chairman of its philosophy department. He would work at Howard University for 40 years. During his early teaching career at Howard University, Locke pursued a doctorate which he earned in 1918 from Harvard University.



The New Negro: Voices of the Harlem Renaissance, edited by Alain Locke, available at Amazon.com

The New Negro was published in 1925 and had a significant impact on the dialogue of Black cultural achievements, which brought him national recognition. In The New Negro, Locke examined the famous Harlem Renaissance for the general reading public. It also became a platform where he attacked the legacy of European supremacy by pointing out the great achievements of Africans. The publication of the book and its acclaim would place Locke at the forefront of "The New Negro Movement."

Alain Leroy Locke, by Winold Reiss, 1925.

Locke received many honors and was in great demand as a writer and lecturer around the country.  A passionate collector of African art and champion of Black theater (Plays of Negro Life, published in 1927), Locke became one of the world's foremost scholars in African studies. In 1954, Howard University started its African Studies Program. It was not a new concept. Thirty years earlier Locke suggested the program to the Howard University administration.

In 1953, Locke moved to New York City after his retirement from Howard University. The next year, on June 9, 1954, he suffered a fatal heart attack derived from his life-long heart problems. As a patron of the arts, Locke's legacy on African American history and culture would impact many generations to come and he would become known as the Father of the Harlem Renaissance.

Marcus Mosiah Garvey: A Pan African History

Marcus Mosiah Garvey (b. 8/17/1887 – d. 6/10/1940)

Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born in Jamaica's St. Ann's Bay parish on August 17, 1887. His parents were Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Sr., a mason, and Sarah Jane (nee Richards), keeper of the family's farm. Garvey was the youngest of 11 children. He inherited his father's love of reading and the family's extensive library was his refuge in youth.

At 14 years old, Garvey became a printer's apprentice. In 1907, Garvey, though a part of management, led a strike among the printer for higher wages. Garvey's uncompromising negotiations with management on the behalf of workers led to his being fired and ostracized by Kingston's private printing companies. It was this early training that subsequently led Garvey to published his first newspaper, The Watchman, as a forum for his emerging political views about oppression within society.

Photo: Do you know who the two men are with Marcus Mosiah Garvey? 

Please help us identify through comments.

Marcus Garvey Travels the Americas, Goes to London, and Starts UNIA

Garvey left Jamaica between the years 1910 and 1912 to travel. He travelled to countries in South and Central America. This included Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Columbia, and Venezuela. He moved to England in 1911 to study briefly at Birkbeck College. It was while in England, in 1911 at the Hyde Park Speaker’s Corner, that he began to speak publicly about the condition of Africans. An important encounter for Garvey while in London was meeting Duse Mohammed Ali, editor of the African Times and Orient Review.

He returned to Jamaica in 1914 and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). On March 16, 1916, Garvey moved to Harlem in New York where UNIA thrived. Garvey spoke across America and gained thousands of supporters. He urged African-Americans to be proud of their race and return to Africa. His biggest critic of his time was W.E.B. Dubois, who publicly criticized the 'Back to Africa' movement.

* * *

Marcus Garvey married the Jamaican-born Amy Jacques Garvey. Mrs. Garvey did not obtain her legitimacy just from the status of her husband as she was a powerful Pan-Africanist and Black Nationalist journalist. In 1919, Amy Jacques became the Secretary General of the UNIA, a position she held for more than half a century. From 1924 to 1927, Mrs. Garvey was the associate editor of The Negro World, an UNIA newspaper, where she wrote a column titled "Our Women and What They Think."

Marcus Garvey with his wife Amy Jacques Garvey

The Black Star Line and the Rise of Black Nationalism in the Americas

By 1919, Garvey also founded the Black Star Line, a trans-Atlantic ship he aimed to use as transportation to and from Africa. Garvey's attemps to pursuade the government of Liberia to grant land settlements were unsuccessful. That same year, Garvey founded the Negro Factories Corporation to encourage economic independence. In 1922, Garvey was arrested by U.S. marshalls on allegation of mail fraud through use of the federal mail system. The case was in connection with Garvey's sale of ship stock in the Black Star Line.

Many commentators suggest that the prosecution was politically motivated, as Garvey's popularity in the U.S. among Black communities had attracted government attention. U.S. Congressman Charles Range, 15th District, notes in a February 22, 2002 OP-EDS, that a New York Times' study of J. Edgar Hoover's role in the Garvey prosecution: “Hoover saw the [B]lacks and the Reds as a larger conspiracy. The new Negro movement, which Garvey symbolized, Hoover saw as a terrible threat to the American way.”

Many of the members of his early Garveyism or Garveyite movement would become part of the later established Nation of Islam in the U.S. Garvey's call for a United States of Africa was heard not only in the Caribbean and U.S., but in West Africa and Southern Africa. Garvey believed a pan-African state was needed to provide stability and wealth to Africa.

The Poem 'Hail, United States of Africa' was written by Marcus Garvey in 1924.

Hail! United States of Africa!

Hail! United States of Africa-free! Hail! Motherland most bright, divinely fair! State in perfect sisterhood united, Born of truth; mighty thou shalt ever be. Hail! Sweet land of our father’s noble kin! Let joy within thy bounds be ever known; Friend of the wandering poor, and helpless, thou, Light to all, such as freedom’s reigns within.

From Liberia’s peaceful western coast To the foaming Cape at the southern end, There’s but one law and sentiment sublime, One flag, and its emblem of which we boast. The Nigerians are all united now, Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast, too. Gambia, Senegal, not divided, But in one union happily bow. 

The treason of the centuries is dead, All alien whites are forever gone; The glad home of Sheba is once more free, As o’er the world the black n-tan raised his head. Bechuanaland, a State with Kenya, Members of the Federal Union grand, Send their greetings to sister Zanzibar, And so does laughing Tanganyika.

Over in Grand Mother Mozambique, The pretty Union Flag floats in the air, She is sister to good Somaliland, Smiling with the children of Dahomey. Three lusty cheers for old Basutoland, Timbuctoo, Tunis and Algeria, Uganda, Kamerun, all together Are in the Union with Nyasaland. We waited long for fiery Morocco, Now with Guinea and Togo she has come, All free and equal in the sisterhood, Like Swazi, Zululand and the Congo.

There is no state left out of the Union- The East, West, North, South, including Central, Are in the nation, strong forever, Over blacks in glorious dominion. Hail! United States of Africa-free! Country of the brave black man’s liberty; State of greater nationhood thou hast won, A new life for the race is just begun.

~ Poem by Marcus Mosiah Garvey

Photo: Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1914)

In 1925, despite an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Garvey was sent to the Atlanta penitentiary. His The Garvey Letter From an Atlanta Prison is dated February 10, 1925, and excerpted below as follows:

Fellow Men of the Negro Race Greetings

I am delighted to inform you, that your humble servant is as happy in suffering for you and our cause as is possible under the circumstances of being viciously outraged by a group of plotters who have connived to do their worst to humiliate you through me, in fight for real emancipation and African Redemption.

I do not want at this time to write anything that would make it difficult for you to meet the opposition of your enemy without my assistance. Suffice to say that the history of the outrage shall form a splendid chapter in the history of Africa redeemed. When black man will no longer be under the heels of others, but have a civilization and culture of their own.

The whole affair is a disgrace, and the whole black world knows it. We shall not forget. Our day may be fifty, a hundred or two hundred years ahead, let us watch, work, and pray, for the civilization of injustice is bound to crumble and bring destruction down upon the heads of the unjust.

My work is just begun, and when the history of my suffering is complete, then the future generations of the Negro will have in their hands the guide by which they shall know the “sins” of the twentieth century. I, and I know you, too, believe in time, and we shall wait patiently for two hundred years, if need be, to face our enemies through our prosperity.

All I have I have given you. I have sacrificed my home and my loving wife for you. I entrust her to your charge, to protect and defend her in my absence. She is the bravest little woman I know. She has suffered and sacrificed with me for you, therefore, please do not desert her at this dismal hour, when she stands alone. I left her penniless and helpless to face the world, because I gave you all, but her courage is great, and I know she will hold up for you and me.

After my enemies are satisfied, in life or death I shall come back to you to serve even as I have served before. In life I shall be the same; in death I shall be a terror to the foes of Negro liberty. If death has power, then count on me in death to be the real Marcus Garvey I would like to be. If I may come in an earthquake, or a cyclone, or a plague, or pestilence, or as God would have me, then be assure that I would never desert you and make your enemies triumph over you.

Would I not go to hell a million times for you? Would I not like Macbeth’s ghost, walk the earth forever for you? Would I not lose the whole world and eternity for you? Would I not cry forever before the footstool of the Lord Omnipotent for you? Would I not die a million deaths for you? Then, why be sad? Cheer up, and be assure that if it takes a million years the sins of our enemies shall visit the millionth generation of those that hinder and oppress us.

If I die in Atlanta my work shall then only begin, but I shall live, in the physical or spiritual to see the day of Africa’s glory. When I am dead wrap the mantle of the Red, Black and Green around me, for in the new life I shall rise with God’s grace and blessing to lead the millions up the heights of triumph with the colors that you well know. Look for me in the whirlwind or the storm, look for me all around you, for, with God’s grace I shall come and bring with me countless millions of black slaves who have died in America and the West Indies and the millions in Africa to aid you in the fight for liberty, freedom and life.

The civilization of today as gone drunk and crazy with its power and by such it seeks through injustice, fraud and lies to crush the unfortunate. But if I am apparently crushed by the system of influence and misdirected power, my cause shall rise again to plague the conscience of the corrupt. For this again I am satisfied, and for you, I repeat, I am glad to suffer and even die. Again, I say cheer up, for better days are ahead. I shall write the history that will inspire the millions that are coming and leave the posterity of our enemies to reckon with the host for the deeds of their fathers.


With God’s dearest blessings, I leave you for a while.

~ From The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, edited by Amy Jacques Garvey, p 237-239

Postscript

Ultimately, Garvey was deported from the U.S. to Jamaica. See Marcus Garvey v. United States, no. 8317, Ct. App., 2d Cir., 2 February 1925, p. 1,699. In 1935, Garvey moved permanently to London where he died on June 10, 1940. In 1964, his body was returned to Jamaica where he was declared a  national hero.