Three Prize Essays on American Slavery

In the heated years before the Civil War, a benevolent New England donor offered a $100 prize for the best essay that could speak to evangelical Christians about the nation’s “great national question.” The competition drew dozens of submissions, and a distinguished committee selected three standout pieces—each taking a measured, reasoned approach to the legal and moral dimensions of slavery. Presented together as a single volume, the essays invite listeners into the earnest, faith‑rooted discourse that shaped public opinion in the 1850s.

The winning essay argues that while God grants the right to own material property, no one may claim ownership of another person, grounding that conviction in a careful reading of Scripture. Companion pieces add a personal, letter‑style appeal to slave‑holding Christians and a probing inquiry into whether Christianity can ever justify the institution. Together they offer a thoughtful snapshot of how ordinary believers wrestled with conscience, law, and the promise of a united nation.