Wendell Phillips

Personal Statement:

My name is Wendell Phillips. I was born on November 29, 1811 in Boston into a wealthy family.  My mother was Sarah Walley and my father was John Phillips. My father was a successful lawyer, politician and a philanthropist. Being apart of a wealthy family allowed me to acquire a great deal of formal education. I attended Boston Latin School and later attended Harvard University, from which I graduated in 1831. In 1834, I received my law degree from Harvard and was admitted to the Massachusetts state bar. I, however, did not pursue this career as Ann Terry Greene, whom I married on October 12, 1837, introduced me to the abolition movement. Once I had been introduced to this movement, I quickly became involved. I joined the American Anti-Slavery Society where I became a close associate of the abolitionist leader William Lloyd Garrison, wrote multiple pamphlets speaking out against slavery and wrote editorials for Garrison’s The Liberator. I also gave a speech denouncing the murder of antislavery editor Elijah P. Lovejoy. This impromptu speech and many others are what earned me the nickname as the “golden trumpet” of the abolition movement. I continued to fight for social justice, even after the emancipation of the slaves. I was a prominent leader in the abolition cause and I was able to rally many together to help support the cause. I was a key contributor to the passing of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendment. I not only advocated for the abolition movement, but many other issues as well such as education. I have pushed for free public education in the south for children of all backgrounds.

Issue(s):

Throughout my lifetime, I was predominately involved in the Abolition Movement. I am an abolitionist that believes that the institution of slavery is unjust and should be abolished. I believe that the Constitution is corrupt, in that it supports the institution of slavery. I understand President Lincoln's desire to keep the nation united, but I strongly believe that it is more important to free the slaves than to preserve the Union.

Solutions:

I believe that the time of nonresistance has passed and it is time to utilize every form of defense that we posses to resist laws such as the Fugitive Slave Act(1850). Though after the passage of the thirteenth amendment, I saw potential in political reform through the formation of new legislation. I then pushed for the passage of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments. I have been very successful in my efforts, as the thirteenth amendment was passed abolishing slavery and freeing the slaves. The passage of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendment are also part of my success, as they have given the African Americans equal rights, along with the right to vote. My choice to jump into the Abolition Movement caused me to become a disgrace to my parents and I was turned away from them.

Relationship to Others:

Though my primary focus was on the Abolition Movement, I was also in favor of many other reforms occurring in the nation. I was in full support of Temperance and played a key role in the reform for women's rights. I pushed for free public education for children, and believed change had to occur in the prison system. At the dinner party, I would be most comfortable talking to William Lloyd Garrison, Henry Thoreau, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. I would feel uncomfortable next to Henry Clay.