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Theodore Dwight Weld | |
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| Born | November 23, 1803 |
| Died | February 3, 1895 (aged 91) |
| Alma mater | Oneida Institute |
| Occupation(s) | Abolitionist, writer, teacher |
| Employer(s) | Society for Promoting Manual Labor in Literary Institutions (Lewis and Arthur Tappan), American Anti-Slavery Society |
| Known for | One of Charles Grandison Finney's "Holy Band"; leader of Lane Rebels |
| Notable work | American Slavery as It Is |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Signature | |
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Theodore Dwight Weld (November 23, 1803 – February 3, 1895) was one of the architects of the American abolitionist movement during its formative years from 1830 to 1844, playing a role as writer, editor, speaker, and organizer. He is best known for his co-authorship of the authoritative compendium American Slavery as It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses, published in 1839. Harriet Beecher Stowe partly based Uncle Tom’s Cabin on Weld's text; the latter is regarded as second only to the former in its influence on the antislavery movement. Weld remained dedicated to the abolitionist movement until slavery was ended by the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865.[1]
According to Lyman Beecher, the father of Harriet Beecher Stowe, Weld was "as eloquent as an angel, and as powerful as thunder."[2]: 323 His words were "logic on fire".[3]
In 1950, Weld was described as being "totally unknown to most Americans".[4]: v
His obscurity was of his own choosing. Weld would never accept an office of authority or honor in any antislavery organization. He refused to speak at antislavery conventions or anniversaries, or even to attend them if he could avoid it. He shunned the cities, and chose to labor in the country districts, where newspapers were few, and his activities were seldom reported except by abolition journals. His writings were published anonymously, and he would seldom allow the content of his speeches or his letters from the field to appear in print at all.[4]: vi
- ^ Columbia 2003 Encyclopedia Article Archived 2009-02-25 at the Wayback Machine Columbia 2003 Encyclopedia Article
- ^ Allen, William G. (March 1988). Calloway-Thomas, Carolyn (ed.). "Orators and Oratory". Journal of Black Studies. 18 (3): 313–336. doi:10.1177/002193478801800305. JSTOR 2784510. S2CID 145612735.
- ^ Monroe, James (1897). "The Early Abolitionists. II. Personal recollections". Oberlin Thursday Lectures and Essays. Oberlin, Ohio: Edward J. Goodrich. pp. 27–56, at p. 55.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Thomaswas invoked but never defined (see the help page).