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| Title | The gospel of slavery: a primer of freedom (X) |
| Author | Thomas, Abel Charles, 1807-1880 |
| Publisher | Strong, Thomas W.
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| Publisher Location | United States--New York--New York |
| Publication Date | 1864 |
| Printer | Unknown
|
| Illustrator | Unknown
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| Image Production Process | Relief prints--woodcuts
|
| Notes | Illustrated with uncolored woodcuts.
An antislavery alphabet book for children with illustrated verses that use slavery, abolitionist, and Christian terms to describe different aspects of slavery and the abolitionist movement. At the bottom of each page is a discussion of the principles of each lesson.
"X stands for cross." The verse states that slave traders engage in sinful activities every day which makes a mockery of Christ's crucifixion. The discussion at the bottom of the page refers to Hebrews x. 26-31 and states that Christ died for all, "without distinction of color, character, station or creed." It goes on to say that "God may forgive sins of ignorance" but questions how He can forgive people involved with slavery and sins of complacency.
The illustration depicts a black man who is tied to a post and being whipped. In the background, Christ hangs on a crucifix. |
| Contextual Notes | Abel Charles Thomas was a Universalist evangelist, minister, journalist, and historian. Although he served the Universalist church in Philadelphia in two separate pastorates totaling nearly twenty-five years and there wrote two of the most celebrated pieces of nineteenth-century Universalist controversial literature, he is most remembered for his short pastorate in Lowell, Massachusetts, where, as one of the founders and editor of the literary magazine, the Lowell Offering, he was a mentor to aspiring writers amongst the young women working in the textile mills (John C. Morgan, Unitarian Universalist Historical Society).
Thomas was also active in Philadelphia antislavery work. Iron Gray was a pseudonym used by Thomas. |
| Subjects (LCSH) | Slavery -- United States -- Juvenile poetry; Slavery -- United States -- Controversial literature |
| Category | Discrimination and bigotry
Alphabet books
History
Political works
|
| Language | English |
| Digital Collection | Children's Historical Literature Collection |
| Digital ID Number | CHL1356 |
| Repository | University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Division |
| Repository Collection | Children's Historical Literature Collection T449.T45 1864 |
| Object Type | Book
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| Physical Description | [26] p.: illustrated; 17 x 12 cm. |
| Digital Reproduction Information | Photographed from original book in TIFF format using a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/EOS 400D, resized and enhanced using Adobe Photoshop, and imported as JPEG2000 using Contentdm's software JPEG2000 Extension. 2009. |
| Exhibit Checklist | Exhibit checklist 20.2 |
