Discussion on American Slavery

A vivid record of a 19th‑century public debate, this work captures three days of heated discussion in a Glasgow chapel between a leading British abolitionist and a delegate of the American Presbyterian Church. Set against the backdrop of the growing trans‑Atlantic anti‑slavery movement, the speakers lay out their arguments about the moral, religious, and political dimensions of slavery in the United States. Their exchange reveals the tensions between British reformers eager to intervene and American clergy wrestling with the contradiction between gospel teachings and the institution of bondage.

The transcription preserves the formal tone of the era, complete with the procedural details of audience size, venue, and the insistence on a fair, documented hearing. Readers hear the earnest pleas, the pointed challenges, and the cautious optimism that dialogue might bridge a widening divide between churches on opposite sides of the Atlantic. The book offers a window into the early‑stage confrontations that shaped later abolitionist efforts, making history feel immediate and human.