Abolition Fanaticism in New York Speech of a Runaway Slave from Baltimore, at an Abolition Meeting in New York, Held May 11, 1847

In May 1847, a crowd of thousands gathered in a New York tabernacle to hear a former slave speak his mind. The speaker, introduced by the well‑known abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, begins with a humble acknowledgment of his own limits, choosing honesty over polished rhetoric. He sets the stage by recalling the years he spent fighting for emancipation and the personal stakes that brought him to the platform.

From there he traces the desperate flight that carried him out of bondage, his decision to seek refuge across the Atlantic, and the striking contrast he found in English streets—where courtesy extended even to those of his complexion. He reflects on the bitter memories of slavery, the bitter betrayals that followed his published narrative, and the enduring hope that a Christian nation might finally abandon the yoke of bondage. Listening to his measured, heartfelt testimony offers a vivid glimpse into a pivotal moment of the anti‑slavery movement and the resilient voice that helped shape it.