Women in Scotland joined fight against black slavery
Radical women in Scotland and America mobilised in the 1840s to campaign for an end to black slavery in America.
This 'transatlantic sisterhood' is the subject of a free one-day seminar at the National Library of Scotland in October. 'Women on the platform' tells of the part that Scotswomen played in the radical network, including how they:
- Campaigned against the Free Church of Scotland taking money from slave-owning presbyteries.
- Invited prominent American abolitionists to Scotland, such as fugitive slave Frederick Douglass and the author of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', Harriet Beecher Stowe.
- Exposed the clandestine activities of Confederate agents in Scotland and supported President Lincoln's cause during the American Civil War.
After slavery was abolished the network switched to other social injustices affecting women, including the right to vote.
The seminar on 31 October lasts from 9.30am-3.30pm and includes lunch. To book a free place, or for more details, phone 0131 623 4675 or email events@nls.uk.
25 September 2008