An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans

Book excerpt: Published in Boston in 1833, Lydia Maria Child's An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans provided the abolitionist movement with its first full-scale analysis of race and enslavement. Controversial in its own time, the Appeal surveyed the institution of slavery from historical, political, economic, legal, racial, and moral perspectives and advocated for the immediate emancipation of the enslaved without compensation to their enslavers. By placing American slavery in historical context and demonstrating how slavery impacted--and implicated--Americans of all regions and races, the Appeal became a central text for the abolitionist movement that continues to resonate in the present day. This revised and updated edition is enhanced by Carolyn L. Karcher's illuminating introduction, a chronology of Child's life, and a list of books for further reading.