An Address to the Slaves of the United States of America by Henry Highland Garnet

Preface to the Address (April 15, 1848)

Original Presentation: The "Address to the Slaves of the United States of America" was first read by Henry Highland Garnet at the National Convention in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1843. It has since been slightly modified but retains its core doctrine.
Controversy and Rejection: The document sparked more debate than any other paper at that convention or any other gathering of people of color and their allies. Objections were primarily based on two grounds:
1. The address was considered "war-like" and encouraged insurrection.
2. Delegates living near slave state borders feared returning home if the Convention adopted it.
It was rejected by a small majority.
Publication (1848): Garnet published the address in 1848 in response to numerous earnest requests from those who heard it and wished to see it. He expressed a prayer that the booklet's principles would reach and be adopted by every slave in the Union.

Address to the Slaves of the U.S. (Pages 2-3)

Introduction and Shared Condition

Audience: Addressed to "Brethren and Fellow-Citizens" (the enslaved people).
Past Actions of Northern Abolitionists: Northern, Eastern, and Western brethren have traditionally met in National Conventions to sympathize with and mourn the slaves' condition. They previously addressed all free classes but had, until now, not sent direct words of consolation and advice to the enslaved.
Critique of Past Inaction: The author notes that they had been "contented in sitting still and mourning" and that their hope for restored liberties through this method had been "in vain." Years passed, and "tens of thousands have been borne on streams of blood, and tears, to the shores of eternity."
Inseparable Destinies: The free cannot be truly free while others are enslaved. The address is written from a position of being "bound with you."
Bonds of Connection: Many of the enslaved are connected to the free not only by shared humanity but also by familial ties (parents, wives, husbands, children, brothers, sisters, friends).
The Deep Gulf of Slavery: Slavery has created a profound divide, preventing friends from offering relief and consolation, and persecuting the enslaved with a "fierceness which we might not expect to see in the fiends of hell."
Glimmer of Hope: Despite the suffering, a "glimmering ray of hope" remains. Humanity is becoming wiser and better, the oppressor's power is waning, and the enslaved population is growing and becoming more informed.
Acknowledged Grievances: While the address will not detail all of the nation's sins against an innocent people, it acknowledges that the enslaved experience these grievances daily, and the civilized world views them with amazement.

Historical Account of Enslavement

Arrival in America: The first members of the "injured race" were brought to America approximately 227 years prior (from the 1848 publication, indicating around 1621, consistent with the start of transatlantic slave trade to the colonies). They did not come willingly, nor to find freedom or enjoy the soil's blessings.
Early Encounters with "Christians": Their initial interactions with self-proclaimed Christians revealed "the worst features of corrupt and sordid hearts," demonstrating that "no cruelty is too great, no villainy and no robbery too abhorrent for even enlightened men to perform, when influenced by avarice, and lust."
Condition of Arrival: They arrived with "broken hearts" from their homelands, destined for "unrequited toil, and deep degradation."
Generational Curse: The evil of bondage was not limited to their lifespan; "succeeding generations inherited their chains," and millions have been born into and died within American Slavery's curse.
Suppressed Conscience and Self-Deception: The originators of slavery or their immediate ancestors recognized its growing evil and wickedness and made "secret promises to destroy it." The hypocrisy of a people who "ferried o'er the wave" for freedom's sake themselves, yet held slaves, was evident.
Voices of Opposition, Yet Persistence: Numerous pleas against slavery were raised:
- The "voice of Freedom" demanded emancipation.
- "Humanity supplicated with tears" for African children.
- "Wisdom urged her solemn plea."
- The enslaved pled their innocence.
- "Christianity stood weeping at the cross."
- "Jehovah frowned," and divine vengeance struggled against the institution.
Failure of Opposition: All these efforts were futile. Slavery "stretched its dark wings of death over the land," with the Church remaining silent, priests prophesying falsely, and the populace accepting it. Slavery had become triumphant and established.

The Suppression of Knowledge and American Hypocrisy (Pages 4-5)

Intellectual and Moral Degradation

Suppression of Literacy: Nearly 3 million enslaved individuals are legally and socially (public opinion often stronger than law) prohibited from reading "the Book of Life" (the Bible). Their intellect is deliberately stifled, and light is withheld from their minds.
The Corrupting Influence on Oppressors: The oppressors themselves are entangled in this moral ruin, becoming "weak, sensual, and rapacious." They have cursed the enslaved, themselves, and the earth they inhabit.
Desolation of Slavery (Southern Statesman Quote): Quoting a Southern statesman, the author highlights the destructive nature of slavery, stating that "even the wolf, driven back long since by the approach of man, now returns after the lapse of a hundred years, and howls amid the desolations of slavery." This metaphor illustrates the deep, self-inflicted wounds slavery inflicts on the land and society.

American Colonies' Hypocrisy

Blaming England: American colonists initially blamed England for imposing slavery upon them, claiming they would abolish it if they could. The world, and philanthropists, believed their sincerity.
The Test of Independence: However, after gaining strength and achieving independence from British rule, they did not emancipate the enslaved. Instead, they "added new links to our chains."
Knowledge of Liberty: The colonists were not ignorant of liberty's principles, having been inspired by revolutionary orators who passionately cried, "LIBERTY OR DEATH." This sentiment electrified thousands to fight for freedom.
Author's Stance on Resistance: The author aligns with those who do not gainsay this "stern declaration" of choosing liberty or death, implying support for physical resistance when justified.

The Sinfulness of Voluntary Submission to Slavery

Misery of Slavery: The word "slavery" encapsulates immense misery, and its effects are abhorrent to any mind not devoid of God's image, for all men inherently cherish liberty.
Universal Right to Liberty: There is no distinction in the sacred right to freedom between a discerning political economist and an "untutored African" in Congo. Both possess an equal right to full freedom.
Highest Crime Against God and Man: To degrade a fellow human to a state where they are content with slavery is the ultimate crime against divine and human principles.
Oppressors' Goal: Enslavers aim to dehumanize, to make the enslaved "as much like brutes as possible" by blinding their minds, embittering their lives, and shutting out spiritual light. Only when this complete degradation is achieved has "American slavery done its perfect work."
Moral Imperative Against Submission: It is "SINFUL IN THE EXTREME FOR YOU TO MAKE VOLUNTARY SUBMISSION" to such degradation.
Divine Commandments vs. Slavery: Slaves are morally obligated to reverence and obey God's commandments—to love God supremely and their neighbor as themselves, observe the Sabbath, study Scriptures, raise children in God's laws, and worship only Him. Slavery, however, defies these commands.
Suffering Does Not Absolve Moral Duty: Being enslaved does not absolve one's moral obligations to God. Suffering in slavery does not guarantee Heaven, especially if it means inability to obey divine commands. If ignorance caused by slavery were a path to heaven, it would be a blessing, not a curse, which is contrary to reality. God does not accept "slavery, nor ignorance, nor any other state of mind, for love and obedience to him."

Call for Active Resistance and Historical Examples (Pages 6-7)

Duty to Resist Injustice

Divine and Human Mandate: "NEITHER GOD, NOR ANGELS, OR JUST MEN, COMMAND YOU TO SUFFER FOR A SINGLE MOMENT." Therefore, it is the "SOLEMN AND IMPERATIVE DUTY TO USE EVERY MEANS, BOTH MORAL, INTELLECTUAL, AND PHYSICAL THAT PROMISE SUCCESS" to achieve freedom.
Hypothetical Scenarios for Resistance: The author presents two scenarios to illustrate moral justification for resistance:
1. If heathens attempted to enslave Christians and impose a false religion, Heaven would condemn Christians who did not resist, even to death.
2. Conversely, if Christians attempted to enslave heathens and maintain their heathenism amid Christianity, God would favor every effort the injured might make to liberate themselves.
Equating Current Injustice to Original Theft: The act of enslavers keeping individuals in bondage is as wrong as the original "man thief" stealing ancestors from Africa. Therefore, the enslaved should employ the same resistance that would have been justified when the first "soul thief" landed on their ancestral shores.
Universal Liberty: Liberty is a divine spirit bestowed by God, who "is no respecter of persons." The humblest peasant is as free in God's eyes as the mightiest monarch.

Time for Self-Action and Global Context

Personal Responsibility: The time has come for the enslaved to act for themselves. "If hereditary bondmen would be free, they must themselves strike the blow."
Self-Emancipation: The enslaved are uniquely positioned to advocate for their own cause and achieve emancipation more effectively than others.
International Pressure: Nations in the "old world" are advancing the cause of universal freedom, with some expected to deliver justice soon. The "combined powers of Europe" have officially condemned the African slave trade.
U.S. Contrast: Despite international condemnation, the slave trade remains "as brisk as ever" in the slave-holding regions of the United States, where humans are traded "as though you were brute beasts."
North's Incompleteness: While the North's abstract opposition to slavery is known, its efforts have reached a point where a "more effectual door" for action is needed, as suggested by the New York Evangelist.

The "More Effectual Door": A Direct Appeal and Demand for Freedom

Emotional Call to Action and Reflection: The address urges the enslaved to consider the profound suffering around them:
- The agonies of their wives.
- The cries of their children.
- The stripes endured by their fathers.
- The torture and disgrace of their mothers.
- The vulnerability of their sisters to concubinage and "unbridled lusts of incarnate devils."
Identity and Rights: Remind them of the "undying glory" of Africa's ancient name and their status as "native-born American citizens," justly entitled to all rights granted to the freest.
Unrequited Toil: Reflect on the countless tears shed on the soil cultivated with their forced labor and enriched by their blood.
Confronting Enslavers: The enslaved are instructed to directly confront their "lordly enslavers," declaring their "DETERMINED TO BE FREE."
Demands for Justice: They should appeal to the enslavers' sense of justice, asserting that no right exists for oppression. They must demand the removal of burdens, remuneration for labor, and promise renewed diligence in cultivation if compensated fairly.
British West Indies Example: Point to the increased happiness and prosperity in the British West Indies following emancipation as a model.
Divine Warning: Clearly communicate the "exceeding sinfulness of slavery," the inevitability of a "future judgment," and the "righteous retributions of an indignant God."
Ultimate Demand: State unequivocally that "all you desire, is FREEDOM, and that nothing else will suffice."

Call for Non-Cooperation and the Choice of Liberty or Death (Pages 8-10)

Cessation of Labor and Consequences

Immediate Action: Following this declaration, the enslaved must "for ever after cease to toil for the heartless tyrants, who give you no other reward but stripes and abuse."
Responsibility for Violence: If this cessation of labor leads enslavers to violence or "the work of death," then the enslavers, not the enslaved, will be responsible for the dire consequences.
Preference for Death over Slavery: The author asserts, "You had far better all die—die immediately, than live slaves, and entail your wretchedness upon your posterity." This is presented as the "only hope" for freedom in the current generation.
Shedding of Blood: There is little hope of redemption "without the shedding of blood." If blood must be shed, "let it all come at once—rather, die freemen, than live to be slaves."
No Mass Exodus Option: Unlike the children of Israel, a "grand Exodus" is impossible because "THE PHARAOHS ARE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BLOOD-RED WATERS!" There are no viable mass escape routes to British dominions, Florida, Texas, or Mexico due to the active efforts of American slavery's propagators, who are extending their influence and aiming to establish slavery in Mexico.
Religious Support (Rev. Robert Hall Quote): Quoting Rev. Robert Hall addressing Bristol volunteers against Napoleon, the author reinforces that "Religion is too much interested in your behalf, not to shed over you her most gracious influences," implying divine support for their struggle.

Preparedness for Hardship and the Choice

Inured to Hardship: The enslaved are already accustomed to hardship from birth, having known nothing else. They are not enervated by luxury.
Slavery's Unintended Training: Slavery, by subjecting them to severe trials, has "beaten out" their sternest energies, paradoxically preparing them for "any emergency." Good treatment is rare, and pain, sorrow, and death are their common lot.
The Undebatable Choice: In the face of crushed rights, murdered sons, and prostitution of wives and daughters, it should "no longer be a debateable question, whether it is better to choose LIBERTY or DEATH."

Historical Figures of Resistance

Denmark Vesey (1822): He formulated a complex and monumental plan for liberation in South Carolina. Betrayed by his own people, he became a "martyr to freedom." History will remember him alongside figures like Moses, Hampden, Tell, Bruce, Wallace, Toussaint L'Ouverture, Lafayette, and Washington.
Impact of Vesey's Movement: His rebellion "shook the whole empire of slavery" and instilled fear in "guilty soul thieves," prompting slave states to "talk strongly of emancipation" for a brief period before fear subsided.
Nat Turner: The "patriotic Nathaniel Turner" was driven to desperation by injustice. Though branded by despotism, future generations will honor him among the "noble and brave."
Joseph Cinque (Amistad): The "immortal Joseph Cinque," a native African, heroically liberated an entire ship-load of his fellow men on the high seas, now living free in Africa.
Madison Washington (Brig Creole): A "bright star of freedom," Madison Washington led an insurrection onboard the brig Creole (traveling from Richmond to New Orleans with 104 other slaves). Nineteen individuals fought for "liberty or death," resulting in one death and the emancipation of all, with the vessel taken to Nassau, New Providence.
Legacy of Heroes: Those who fell in the conflict for freedom will have their memories cherished, and those living will be adorned with a "halo of glory."

Strategic Non-Violence and the Power of Numbers

Rejection of Armed Revolution: The author explicitly advises against an armed revolution (with the sword), deeming it "INEXPEDIENT" due to:
1. The small numbers of the enslaved population.
2. The prevailing spirit of the age and the Gospel's opposition to "war and bloodshed."
A New Strategy: Cessation of Labor: Instead, the instruction is to "cease to labor for tyrants who will not remunerate you." If every slave in the land adopts this, "the days of slavery are numbered."
Endurance of Suffering: The enslaved cannot be more oppressed or suffer greater cruelties than they already have.
Reaffirmation: "RATHER DIE FREEMEN THAN LIVE TO BE SLAVES."
Power in Numbers: Emphasizes the collective strength by stating, "Remember that you are THREE MILLIONS!"
Tormenting Slaveholders: This collective non-cooperation has the power to torment "God-cursed slaveholders" to the point where they will be eager to grant freedom.
Hypothetical Role Reversal: If the roles were reversed and black men were masters, white slaves would employ "every destructive agent and element" to overthrow oppressors, facing "plagues more terrible than those of Pharaoh."
Critique of Passivity: The author criticizes the enslaved for their excessive patience, suggesting they act "as though you were made for the special use of these devils," accepting the abuse of their daughters and the tearing away of their wives without resistance.

Henry Highland Garnet's "Address to the Slaves of the United States of America," first read in Buffalo in 18431843 and published in 18481848, was a controversial call for enslaved people to resist their bondage, arguing it was a "SINFUL IN THE EXTREME" to submit voluntarily. Initially rejected for being "war-like," the address targeted enslaved individuals directly, critiquing past abolitionist inaction and emphasizing the shared destiny of free and enslaved people. It detailed the historical injustices of slavery since 16211621, exposed American hypocrisy regarding liberty, and highlighted the suppression of knowledge among the enslaved.

Critically, Garnet asserted that neither God, angels, nor just men commanded suffering, making it an "IMPERATIVE DUTY" to use "EVERY MEANS" to achieve freedom. He urged the enslaved to act for themselves, drawing inspiration from international anti-slavery movements and historical figures like Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner, Joseph Cinque, and Madison Washington. While advising against armed revolution due to practical reasons like numbers and the Gospel's teachings, Garnet proposed a strategy of non-cooperation: to "cease to toil for the heartless tyrants." He unequivocally declared, "You had far better all die—die immediately, than live slaves," underlining that "RATHER DIE FREEMEN THAN LIVE TO BE SLAVES." He emphasized the power of their collective numbers (33 million) to force slaveholders to grant freedom, condemning their prolonged passivity.