Benjamin Lundy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin Lundy
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| Born | January 4, 1789 |
| Died | August 22, 1839 (aged 50) |
| Resting place | Quaker cemetery in Putnam County, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Saddler, abolitionist newspaper publisher and speaker |
| Known for | Anti-slavery activities |
| Spouse(s) | Esther Lewis |
| Children | Susan Maria Lundy Wierman (1815–1899), Charles Tallmadge Lundy (1821-1870), Benjamin Clarkson Lundy (1826-1861), Elizabeth (1818-1879), and Esther (1826-1917). |
| Parent(s) | Joseph and Elizabeth Shotwell Lundy |
Benjamin Lundy (January 4, 1789 – August 22, 1839) was an American Quaker who worked to end slavery. He started many anti-slavery newspapers and traveled widely. Lundy gave speeches and published articles to stop slavery from spreading. He also tried to find places outside the United States where freed slaves could live.
Many people consider Lundy a very important early abolitionist. William Lloyd Garrison, another famous abolitionist, said Lundy was the first American to dedicate his entire life to helping enslaved people.
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Early Life and Family
Benjamin Lundy was born in Hardwick Township, New Jersey, on January 4, 1789. His parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Shotwell Lundy, were Quakers. Quakers are a religious group known for their peaceful beliefs and opposition to slavery. Benjamin's mother died when he was young, but he grew close to his stepmother, Mary Titus Lundy. He worked on his family's farm and went to school only for short times.
When Benjamin was a teenager, he moved to Wheeling, West Virginia. There, he became a saddler, making and repairing saddles. Wheeling was a busy place for the slave trade. Benjamin saw enslaved people being forced to march through the town, often in terrible conditions. Seeing this cruelty made him decide to dedicate his life to ending slavery.
In 1815, Benjamin married Esther Lewis. They had five children: Susan Maria, Charles Tallmadge, Benjamin Clarkson, Elizabeth, and Esther.
Starting His Anti-Slavery Work
Benjamin and his family settled in St. Clairsville, Ohio. He built a successful saddlery business there. But his main goal was to fight slavery. In 1815, he helped start an anti-slavery group called the Union Humane Society. This group quickly grew to over 500 members.
Lundy learned about journalism and printing from a fellow Quaker, Charles Osborne. On his birthday in 1816, Lundy announced his plan to create a national anti-slavery organization. This became his life's work.
Publishing Anti-Slavery Newspapers
Lundy decided to leave his saddlery business to focus on publishing. He moved to St. Louis, Missouri, which was a center of debate about slavery. However, he faced financial difficulties there.
After returning to Ohio, Lundy started his own anti-slavery newspaper, the Genius of Universal Emancipation. The first issue came out in January 1821. This newspaper was published in many different cities over the years, including Mount Pleasant, Ohio, Greeneville, Tennessee, Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lundy often published it irregularly, sometimes from wherever he could find a printing press. Other newspapers often reprinted his articles.
Being an anti-slavery activist was not easy. Slave owners did not like Lundy's arguments that slavery held back progress. In 1822, Lundy also started another paper, the American Economist and Weekly Political Reporter, which included more general news. He continued to give speeches against slavery and met with other activists.
Challenges in Baltimore
In 1825, Lundy moved his family to Baltimore, Maryland. This allowed him to print his newspaper weekly. He also published a book about an abolitionist named Elisha Tyson.
In 1826, Lundy helped twelve enslaved people gain their freedom and travel to Haiti. When he returned, he found that his wife, Esther, had died. His children were being cared for by friends.
In 1827, a slave trader named Austin Woolfolk attacked Lundy on a street in Baltimore. Lundy had been criticizing Woolfolk's business. Woolfolk was found guilty of assault, but he received a very light punishment.
From 1829 to 1830, William Lloyd Garrison helped Lundy edit the Genius newspaper in Baltimore. Both men hated slavery, but they had different ideas about how to end it. Lundy believed in sending freed slaves to colonies outside the U.S. Garrison wanted slavery to end immediately in America.
While Lundy was traveling, Garrison published articles that were very critical of the slave trade. This led to Garrison being charged with libel (publishing false information that harms someone's reputation). He was fined and jailed for a short time. After this, Lundy and Garrison ended their partnership. Lundy later moved his newspaper to Washington, D.C.
Travels and Later Work
Benjamin Lundy traveled a lot to give anti-slavery speeches. He was one of the first people to do this. He visited Haiti twice and the Wilberforce Colony in Canada, where freed slaves and refugees lived. He also traveled to Texas twice. Lundy was always looking for a good place outside the United States for freed slaves to settle. Between 1820 and 1830, he traveled thousands of miles by foot and other ways, visiting many states and holding over 200 public meetings.
From 1836 to 1838, Lundy edited a new anti-slavery weekly called The National Enquirer in Philadelphia. He also wrote a lot about the issues in Texas and Mexico, especially how they related to slavery. Lundy believed the Texas Revolution was partly an effort to keep slavery legal in Texas, even though Mexico had banned it.
Lundy later bought a farm in Lowell, Illinois. He printed more issues of the Genius of Universal Emancipation there.
Death and Legacy
Benjamin Lundy died in August 1839 at his farm in Lowell, Illinois, at the age of 50. He was buried in a Quaker cemetery in Putnam County, Illinois. After his death, his friends and family published his autobiography, Life Travels and Opinions of Benjamin Lundy.
One hundred years after his death, a bronze plaque was placed at his gravesite. It honors him as a pioneer abolitionist who worked tirelessly to end slavery, often feeling alone in his fight.
Lundy's house in Mount Pleasant, Ohio is now a National Historic Landmark.
Images for kids
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Benjamin Lundy, abolitionist newspaper publisher.
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Lundy's house in Mount Pleasant, Ohio.
