Ohio Anti-Slavery Society facts for kids

The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society was a group formed in Ohio from 1835 to 1845. Its main goal was to end slavery in the United States. Important leaders like Gamaliel Bailey and John Rankin helped start this society in Zanesville, Ohio. They believed that all people should be free.

How the Society Started

Early Days in Ohio

The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society began as a helper group for the larger American Anti-Slavery Society. Their first meeting was held in April 1835 in Putnam, Ohio. People from 25 different counties in Ohio came to this meeting.

Some important people from other states also joined. Later, the society's main office moved to Cleveland, Ohio.

What the Society Did

The society was created to stop slavery everywhere in the United States. Their rules said they wanted to end slavery and help African Americans gain their rightful place as free people.

The society helped pay for speakers to travel and share their message. They also made a newspaper called The Philanthropist their official news source. James G. Birney ran this newspaper.

In 1836, some people who supported slavery protested in Cincinnati. They even destroyed Birney's printing press. A group of citizens asked the society to close the newspaper. But the society said no. They believed in "freedom of the press," meaning everyone has the right to share their ideas.

Later in 1836, the society chose new leaders. These included Gamaliel Bailey, James G. Birney, and others.

Some people in the anti-slavery movement thought African Americans should not be involved. However, John Rankin and Gamaliel Bailey slowly welcomed them. Rankin even said that treating people unfairly because of their race was wrong. He called it a crime against love.

Growing Bigger

The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society grew very quickly. In 1836, it went from having 20 local groups to 120 groups across Ohio. By the end of that year, about 10,000 people in Ohio were part of the society.

Why the Society Split

In 1840, members of the society decided not to become a political group. This meant they would not try to elect people to government jobs. Some members wanted to break away from the American Anti-Slavery Society. They wanted to stay neutral in their fight against slavery.

In June 1841, a meeting was held in Mt. Pleasant. At this meeting, some members argued for political action. They wanted to support political parties that were against slavery. These members later supported the Liberty Party.

Around this time, the economy was not doing well. The society and its newspaper, The Philanthropist, started to lose their power. By September 1841, the newspaper's presses were destroyed in a riot that lasted two days.