Anti-slavery fairs facts for kids

Anti-slavery fairs were special events held in the United States from the 1830s to the 1860s. At these fairs, people who wanted to end slavery, especially women, sold items and shared their ideas about why slavery was wrong. These events helped spread the message of freedom and equality.

What Were Early Anti-Slavery Fairs Like?

Before the big fairs, women often met in small groups called Sewing circles. Here, they learned a lot about the anti-slavery movement, its ideas, and its leaders. These groups were very popular from 1835 to 1860. Many women in these circles were very dedicated. They were often religious, especially Christians, and believed that slavery was morally wrong according to their faith.

What started as small sewing circles soon grew into larger fairs. At these fairs, people sold baked goods, clothing, and household items. While shopping, visitors were also exposed to messages against slavery. This made it hard for anyone, even those who weren't deeply involved, to ignore the main goal of ending slavery. People of all ages, genders, and races came to buy homemade and manufactured goods, and in doing so, they heard the anti-slavery message. As the fairs grew, they moved from homes and churches to bigger places like hotels, stores, and meeting halls.

How Did Anti-Slavery Fairs Grow?

The first large anti-slavery sales were held in Boston in 1834 and Philadelphia in 1836. Smaller fairs could send and sell their items at these bigger events. This helped spread the anti-slavery message and made smaller fairs more well-known, especially in the Northeast United States.

By 1848, Boston, Philadelphia, and many smaller fairs received help and support from anti-slavery supporters in Ireland, Scotland, and Britain. Selling goods from other countries helped bring more people to the fairs. For example, sales of British goods brought in almost half of the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society’s money in the 1850s.

The women who organized the fairs kept asking for more support. They invited everyone to help by donating or selling goods. These items could be anything from fabric and farm products to sewn items, toys, books, or art. Larger anti-slavery groups, like the one in Philadelphia, also helped smaller sewing circles that were becoming popular in the West, such as in Ohio. The larger fairs made sure to publish thank-you notes for all the smaller groups that contributed goods. This encouraged them and showed appreciation for their support.

Who Was Involved in the Fairs?

Middle-class white women played the biggest role in organizing these fairs. However, black women often contributed homemade goods to be sold. White men also frequently donated money or items. This allowed men and women, both black and white, to work and socialize together. Abolitionists saw this as a way to break down racial and gender barriers in public places.

Anti-slavery fairs were a way for women, especially in the Northeast United States, to step beyond their traditional roles. The volunteer work done by women at these fairs gave them a stronger voice in politics and more influence in local economies.

Key Contributors

The Weston sisters were a group who greatly helped the anti-slavery cause. They were educated, middle-class white women from Weymouth, Massachusetts. One sister, Maria Weston Chapman, married an abolitionist. He helped connect her five unmarried sisters to the anti-slavery movement. They became leaders in the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society. They became very influential, even though there was some resistance to women being active in public.

Maria Weston Chapman also edited a publication called The Liberty Bell. This publication featured essays, stories, and poems about enslaved people and the fight to end slavery. Much of Maria Weston Chapman's success with the anti-slavery fairs she was involved in came from her many connections with wealthy families throughout Boston and Massachusetts.

See Also

• Sewing circles
• Maria Weston Chapman