A Voice for Freedom: The Life and Achievements of William Wells Brown

Abstract

The issue of slavery was a widely debated topic during the antebellum period, which created a division in American society. The partition was quite prominent between those who wanted to continue the "peculiar institution" and the abolitionists who wanted to see an end to slavery. The abolitionist movement grew rapidly in the United States. Many outstanding white Americans and African-Americans, several of whom were former slaves, joined the movement. William Wells Brown was an African-American abolitionist who rose from the chains of slavery to significant status within the abolitionist movement and ultimately in American society. Brown enjoyed a wide-ranging career in the abolitionist movement, more so than many other notable African-American abolitionists. Brown's popular literary works, and the awareness he brought to the capabilities of African-Americans, earned him a well-known spot in history.