1833-1882
Guide to the Microfilm Edition
Abstract
This collection consists of the papers of Boston abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, including correspondence between Garrison, his wife Helen Eliza (Benson) Garrison, other members of the Benson family of Brooklyn, Conn., and several of the Garrison children.
Biographical Sketch
William Lloyd Garrison was a renowned 19th-century abolitionist and reformer. He was born on 10 December 1805 in Newburyport, Mass., the fourth child of Abijah and Frances Maria (Lloyd) Garrison. His father, a sea captain, deserted the family before Garrison was three years old. Placed in the care of Deacon Ezekiel Bartlett, Garrison had a meager education, and in 1818, he was apprenticed for seven years to Ephraim W. Allen, editor of the Newburyport Herald. On 22 March 1826, he became editor of the local Free Press. When the Free Press failed, Garrison sought employment in Boston as a journeyman printer, and in the spring of 1828, he and Nathaniel H. White launched the National Philanthropist, a paper opposed to intemperance, lotteries, Sabbath-breaking, and war. That same year, he met Benjamin Lundy, a Quaker, who turned Garrison's attention to the evils of slavery. After a short time as editor of the Journal of the Times, an anti-Jackson paper based in Bennington, Vt., Garrison returned to Boston in March 1829 and, on Independence Day in the Park Street Church, delivered the first of many public addresses denouncing slavery. Later that summer, he became co-editor with Lundy of the Baltimore weekly Genius of Universal Emancipation.
Garrison was one of the first American abolitionists to demand not a gradual abolition of slavery, but the "immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves." In the Genius of Universal Emancipation, he vehemently criticized his opponents and accused Newburyport ship-owner Francis Todd of engaging in the domestic slave trade, for which Garrison was sued and found guilty of libel. Unable to pay his fine, he was imprisoned for seven weeks in the Baltimore jail and released only through the intervention of philanthropist Arthur Tappan. During the autumn of 1830, Garrison lectured in eastern cities and eventually founded his famous periodical, the Liberator. Faced with limited resources and a circulation of less than 3,000, he and his partner Isaac Knapp printed the paper on a hand-press from borrowed type. The first issue, which came out on 1 January 1831, contained Garrison's manifesto ending with the words: "I am in earnest--I will not equivocate--I will not excuse--I will not retreat a single inch--and I will be heard."
Garrison was a non-violent activist, but his condemnation of slavery and enslavers was uncompromising. For example, beginning with its 17th issue, the Liberator bore the image of an auction of enslaved people near the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. This image infuriated Southerners, who threatened Garrison with bodily harm. The state of Georgia offered a reward of $5,000 for his arrest and conviction.
The New England Anti-Slavery Society was formed in 1831, and Garrison, who had helped to draft its constitution, was elected corresponding secretary. In 1832, he wrote a pamphlet, Thoughts on African Colonization, that denounced the work of the American Colonization Society, an organization he had initially supported. In early May 1833, Garrison sailed for England to solicit funds for a manual-labor school for Black youth. There he met and befriended many abolitionists, including Daniel O'Connell and George Thompson. On 4 December 1833, Garrison and more than 50 other delegates from ten states met in Philadelphia to form the American Anti-Slavery Society. Its declaration of principles included pacifistic language and was largely written by Garrison, who would serve for a short time as the organization's foreign secretary.
In 1835, George Thompson came to the United States on a lecture tour, but opponents protested many of his appearances. On 21 October, at a meeting of the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society, a mob of several thousand assembled intending to tar-and-feather Thompson. The abolitionist had been warned, however, and the crowd seized Garrison instead, dragging him through the streets with a rope around his neck. Garrison, saved through the intervention of Mayor Theodore Lyman, spent the night in the Leverett Street jail and withdrew from the city in the morning.
Garrison was an effective activist, but his radicalism often antagonized even his ardent supporters. His desire to link abolitionism with other reform movements, such as women's rights, cost him the support of more conservative abolitionists, who were dismayed at the inclusion of Sarah and Angelina Grimké as speakers at their meetings. Also, the indifference of many clergymen to the slavery issue brought Garrison into open conflict with orthodox churches. He eventually denied the plenary inspiration of the Bible and even attended a meeting of the "Friends of Universal Reform" in November 1840. He vigorously denounced theaters, tobacco, capital punishment, and imprisonment for debt. However, his opposition to concerted political action led to a schism in the anti-slavery movement and the formation of a third party. In June 1840, Garrison refused to participate in the World's Anti-Slavery Convention in London when he discovered that women were excluded from the proceedings.
As early as 1841, Garrison, who condemned the United States for continuing to sanction slavery, began urging the North to secede from the Union. Many members of the American Anti-Slavery Society emphatically protested, but under pressure from Garrison, the organization resolved, in January 1843, that the Constitution was "a covenant with death and an agreement with hell" that "should be annulled." Later that same year, Garrison was elected president of the American Anti-Slavery Society. In the summer and autumn of 1846, he visited England for the third time, addressing reform meetings, and in August 1847, he and Frederick Douglass went on a lecture tour beyond the Alleghenies, where Garrison debated defenders of the Union night after night. In 26 days, he spoke more than 40 times.
However, resistance among the abolitionists to Garrison's disunionist stance was growing. Garrison, who had strongly opposed the Mexican War and the annexation of Texas, denounced Daniel Webster's "Seventh of March" speech that encouraged compromise on the issue of slavery in the new territory. But Webster's speech provoked a strong reaction against Garrison and the disunionist faction, and at the annual meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society on 7 May 1850, a mob led by Isaiah Rynders disrupted the proceedings. But Garrison persisted. On 4 July 1854, at an abolitionist gathering in Framingham, Mass., Garrison publicly burned the Constitution of the United States. He welcomed the secession of the South in 1860-1861, though as a pacifist, he could not sanction John Brown's uprising at Harpers Ferry. He criticized Lincoln's uncertain policies, but, recognizing the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation, would not openly condemn the president. At the December 1863 meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia, the two factions of abolitionists finally reconciled.
At the conclusion of the Civil War, in April 1865, Garrison and George Thompson attended the ceremonies in Charleston, S.C. and witnessed the raising of the Stars and Stripes over Fort Sumter. Garrison gave a brief address. He had proposed the dissolution of the American Anti-Slavery Society in January 1865, but his motion was rejected. He did, however, decline a 23rd term as its president and was succeeded by Wendell Phillips. The final issue of the Liberator, which came out on 29 December 1865, contained Garrison's editorial celebrating the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.
On 4 September 1834, Garrison had married Helen Eliza Benson of Brooklyn, Conn., and the couple settled in Roxbury, Mass. in a house called "Freedom's Cottage." They had seven children, two of whom died in infancy. Their surviving children were: George Thompson Garrison; William Lloyd Garrison, Jr., a prominent advocate of the single tax, free trade, women's suffrage, and the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act; Wendell Phillips Garrison, literary editor of the New York Nation from 1865 to 1906; Helen Frances "Fanny" Garrison (later Villard); and Francis Jackson Garrison, his father's biographer.
Despite two painful accidents that made physical activity difficult, Garrison traveled to England again in 1867. On his return, he became an intermittent contributor to the New York Independent and continued his activism for prohibition, women's suffrage, justice for Native Americans, and the elimination of sex work. In 1868, Garrison's admirers raised a testimonial fund for him of more than $30,000. His wife Helen Eliza Garrison died of pneumonia on 28 January 1876, and Garrison made his last trip to England the following year, but his health was so poor that he could only occasionally appear in public. He died of a kidney disease on 24 May 1879 at the home of his daughter Fanny Garrison Villard in New York. He was buried in Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston.
Sources
Fuess, Claude M. "William Lloyd Garrison." Dictionary of American Biography. Ed. Allen Johnson and Dumas Malone. Vol. 7. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1937. 168-72.
Collection Description
This microfilm edition of the William Lloyd Garrison papers consists of one box of manuscripts reproduced on one reel of microfilm. The collection contains the family correspondence of William Lloyd Garrison; his wife Helen Eliza (Benson) Garrison (1811-1876); other members of the Benson family of Brooklyn, Conn., including George W. Benson (1808-1879), Sarah T. Benson (1770-1844), and Sarah T. Benson (1799-1850); and all five surviving Garrison children: George Thompson Garrison (1836-1904), William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. (1838-1909), Wendell Phillips Garrison (1840-1907), Helen Frances "Fanny" Garrison (1844-1928) (later Villard), and Francis Jackson Garrison (1848-1916). The correspondence details the domestic activities of the Garrison family--the births of two children, the health of Helen Eliza Garrison, travels undertaken by various members of the family, visits by and to friends and relatives, and letters concerning Garrison's illness and death in May 1879. The collection also includes several manuscript poems composed by Garrison; letters from fellow abolitionists Francis Jackson (1789-1861), Samuel J. May (1797-1871), Samuel E. Sewall (1799-1888), and Gerrit Smith (1797-1874) concerning reform activities; and financial records of two testimonial funds collected on Garrison's behalf.
Other individuals represented in the collection include George Thompson (1804-1878), Samuel Philbrick (1789-1859), Wendell Phillips (1811-1884), Charles F. Hovey (1807-1859), Ellis Gray Loring (1803-1858), Thomas Davis (1806-1895), Caroline C. Thayer (d. 1891), Robert Folger Wallcut (1797-1884), Samuel May, Jr. (1810-1899), James Miller McKim (1810-1874), Henry Villard (1835-1900), Horace White (1834-1916), Richard Davis Webb (1805-1872), John Bright (1811-1889), Elias Nason (1811-1887), Charles Sumner (1811-1874), and Harriet Martineau (1802-1876).
Acquisition Information
Gift of Francis J. Garrison, Feb. 1916.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged chronologically.
Chronological List of Items
Expand allUndated
Undated
Excerpt from an earlier statement by William Lloyd Garrison: "I tell the American slaveholder that he shall not have silence..." Written below the same passage typed. Another typewritten passage on verso.
Undated
Copy of the poem "Freedom of the Mind," by William Lloyd Garrison: "High walls and huge the body may confine..."
Undated
Autograph of William Lloyd Garrison on the clipped part of a handbill.
Undated
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison written on a memorandum form of H. O. Houghton & Company, Boston: "I find I have blundered, and left at home the revised and corrected proof that I should have brought with me. So we must leave the matter till you come home to-night." (entire)
Undated
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison: "With Father's best wishes. For Frank."
Undated
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison to turn off the water and fill the sitting-room grate with coal for the night.
Undated
Note from William Lloyd Garrison on verso of a card advertising the circulating library of J. H. Duclos & Brother, Boston: "As I shall not come home till tea-time, and William is going to New York to-day, Anna can give you a ride this afternoon--say about 4 o'clock." (entire)
Undated
Autograph of Mary C[lemmer?] Ames [1831-1884] on the clipped part of a handbill.
Undated
Autograph of William I. Bowditch on the clipped part of a handbill.
Undated
Autograph of Lucy Stone (1818-1893) on the clipped part of a handbill.
Undated
Autograph of H[arriett?] W[inslow?] Sewall on the clipped part of a handbill.
1833-1854
7 Mar. 1833
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to George Bourne (1780-1845) about substituting as editor of the Liberator during Garrison's proposed trip to England.
11 May 1833
Letter from Helen Eliza Benson (Providence, R.I.) to Rebecca Buffum (b. ca. 1810) noting an injury suffered by Sarah T. Benson (1799-1850), the departure of William Lloyd Garrison for England, etc.
19 Sep. 1833
Letter from Nathaniel Paul (d. 1839) (London) to George Thompson noting William Lloyd Garrison's departure from England after his trip there and seeking Thompson's support for Paul's own "collecting tour" to Scotland for his Wilberforce Colony in Upper Canada--a settlement for freedom seekers and free Black people. Written on a broadside of 17 Aug. 1833: "A letter of William Lloyd Garrison...to the Rev. Nathaniel Paul..."
17 Feb. 1837
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to George W. Benson regarding the Depression of 1837, plans to visit in June, the upcoming meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society, etc.
8 Apr. 1837
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Sarah T. Benson (1770-1844) about the death of Ann Greene Chapman (age 35), Chapman's services to the anti-slavery cause, and accidental injuries to George Thompson Garrison.
20 Jan. 1838
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Sarah T. Benson (1770-1844) about the birth of William Lloyd Garrison, Jr.
14 June 1840
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (off Cape Clear, Ireland) to Helen Eliza Garrison near the end of his transatlantic passage to England.
15 Apr. 1843
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to George W. Benson on the illness of Ann Elizabeth Benson (1801-1843) and on the possible admission of George Thompson to the Northampton Association of Education and Industry.
14 Oct. 1843
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Franklin, Conn.) to Sarah T. Benson (1799-1850) on the resetting of his wife's dislocated arm and other family matters.
6 Nov. 1843
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to George W. Benson on the arrival of the latter's mother and sister in Boston and other family matters.
[1 Apr. 1847]
Poem "Lizzy Pease," by William Lloyd Garrison, about Elizabeth Pease Garrison (1846-1848). This 20-line poem, with the addition of one line between lines 4 and 5, is part of a letter from William Lloyd Garrison to Elizabeth Pease (1807-1897) in the Garrison papers at the Boston Public Library.
27 Nov. 1847
List of subscribers to a trust fund for William Lloyd Garrison, including James Mott (1788-1868), Samuel Philbrick, Wendell Phillips, Francis Jackson, Edward M. Davis (1811-1887), James N. Buffum, Nathaniel Barney (1792-1869), Maria Weston Chapman (1806-1885), Charles F. Hovey, Ellis Gray Loring, Mary G. Chapman (ca. 1798-1874), Daniel Ricketson, and Robert Purvis (1810-1898). On verso: "Schedule of Investment," 31 Jan. 1854.
13 Dec. 1847
Letter from Francis Jackson and Wendell Phillips (Boston) to Thomas Davis seeking a contribution to a trust fund for William Lloyd Garrison.
29 Oct. 1848
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to George W. Benson on the birth of Francis Jackson Garrison, the illness of Sarah T. Benson (1799-1850), etc.
29 Oct. 1848
Receipt for $12 paid by "Mr. Garrison to M[ary] M[argaret] Alexander Dr.," midwife at the birth of Francis Jackson Garrison.
5 Nov. [1848]
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Francis Jackson about naming the former's son after him.
5 Nov. [1848]
Letter from Francis Jackson (Boston) to William Lloyd Garrison and Helen Eliza Garrison acknowledging the naming of Francis Jackson Garrison after him.
[3 Oct. 1853]
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Caroline C. Thayer about his western tour.
27 Oct. 1853
Receipt for $150, received from Wendell Phillips, agent for Samuel Philbrick, treasurer of the William Lloyd Garrison trust fund, the amount to be paid to Garrison's wife.
13 Jan. 1854
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Caroline C. Thayer acknowledging a gift and extending an invitation to tea. Garrison signed for himself and his wife.
20 July 1854
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Caroline C. Thayer acknowledging a gift of flowers, cakes, etc. Written by Garrison in the name of Francis Jackson Garrison.
6 Aug. 1854
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Caroline C. Thayer acknowledging a gift of flowers. Written by Garrison in the name of Francis Jackson Garrison.
10 Aug. 1854
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Caroline C. Thayer acknowledging gifts of a basket of pears and a bouquet of flowers. Written by Garrison in the name of Francis Jackson Garrison.
6 Oct. 1854
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Thomas Davis suggesting the employment of George Thompson Garrison in Davis's jewelry company.
[25 Dec.] 1854
Poem and letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Caroline C. Thayer acknowledging gifts to Francis Jackson Garrison, Fanny Garrison, and Sarah Benson (b. 1846). Written by Garrison, who affixed Francis Jackson Garrison's initials to the poem.
1855-1863
24 Apr. 1855
Accounts, 1848-1855, of Samuel Philbrick, treasurer of the William Lloyd Garrison trust fund. Additional entries made about 1 Oct. 1855.
12 Sep. 1855
Letter from Charles F. Hovey (Boston) to Francis Jackson regarding the home in Dix Place for the William Lloyd Garrison family. Copy.
29 Sep. 1855
Letter from Ellis Gray Loring (Boston) to Charles D. Head asking that he assess the present market value of stocks of the William Lloyd Garrison trust fund. Also signed by Samuel Philbrick and Francis Jackson, other trustees of the fund.
[1 Oct. 1855]
Memorandum by [Wendell Phillips] of transactions of the William Lloyd Garrison trust fund, noting the valuation of stocks held by the fund, the price of Garrison's house in Dix Place, etc.
[1] Oct. 1855
Letter from Francis Jackson (Boston) to Charles F. Hovey thanking him for arranging the use of trust funds to buy for William Lloyd Garrison the home in Dix Place already occupied by the Garrison family and asking him to urge the Garrisons "to live within their income." Rough draft.
1 Oct. 1855
Letter from Francis Jackson (Boston) to William Lloyd Garrison stating that the trust fund has now been used to buy the house in Dix Place already occupied by the Garrison family and noting various particulars regarding the property and water taxes.
16 July 1856
Letter from William A. Hall (New York) to [Francis Jackson?] contributing $250 to the William Lloyd Garrison trust fund.
22 July 1856
Receipt for $91.27 from Wendell Phillips, acting for the William Lloyd Garrison trust fund in its purchase of the Garrison home in Dix Place, signed by Francis Jackson (Boston).
18 Oct. 1856
Tax bill of $54.30 due from William Lloyd Garrison. Endorsed by Wendell Phillips: "Paid by me out of funds belonging to the Garrison Fund contributed by W. A. Hall." Printed form dated 1 Oct. 1856.
1 Nov. 1856
List of contributors to a fund to assist William Lloyd Garrison in buying a home, including Caroline E. Putnam of Salem (d. 1917), Helen S. Gillead, Sarah P. Remond, Charlotte L. Forten, and Sarah Cassey Smith. A total of $115 was collected.
[ca. 31 Mar. 1857]
Document by [Francis Jackson] announcing "Conditions of the Public Sale of the Dix Place Estate," as surveyed on 31 Mar. 1857. This property was held in trust for William Lloyd Garrison.
8 Aug. 1857
Letter from Helen Eliza Garrison (Boston) to Francis Jackson Garrison, who was visiting the Daniel Mann family in Oakdale, Mass. On the same sheet, a letter of the same date from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Francis Jackson Garrison.
[13? Aug. 1857]
Letter from Helen Eliza Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison, who was visiting the Daniel Mann family in Oakdale, Mass.
13 Aug. 1857
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Francis Jackson Garrison, visiting in Oakdale, Mass., noting how his mother and sister were also away from home.
17 Aug. 1857
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Francis Jackson Garrison recalling his own childhood and hoping that his son will "grow up a good abolitionist."
1 Jan. 1861
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison accompanying a New Year's gift.
15 Feb. 1861
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison to Robert Folger Wallcut regarding assistance in keeping records of the Liberator.
23 Feb. 1861
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Helen Eliza Garrison on the occasion of her 50th birthday, giving her a gold watch.
1 Apr. 1861
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876) introducing George A. Bacon, an employee of the Boston post office, and urging his appointment as secretary to the postmaster.
11 Aug. 1861
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Valley Falls, R.I.) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the latter's visits to North Becket and Ghent, N.Y.
1 Jan. 1862
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Charles H. Brainard thanking him for his part in giving to Garrison as a New Year's present a crayon portrait of Wendell Phillips. Typewritten copy.
13 July 1862
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Francis Jackson Garrison referring to the former's recent address in Hopedale, Mass. and to the latter's visit in Oakdale, Mass.
2 Aug. 1862
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the previous day's celebration at Abington, Mass. of the anniversary of British West Indian emancipation.
22 Aug. 1863
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Plymouth, Mass.) to Francis Jackson Garrison referring to the latter's travels as far as Philadelphia and noting sights in Plymouth, where the former is visiting the Bourne Spooner family.
1864-1866
22 Mar. 1864
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to John Murray Forbes (1813-1898) suggesting that the circular for the testimonial fund for George Thompson be printed and given to the press. Signature missing.
29 Mar. 1864
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Gerrit Smith acknowledging his check for $200 for the testimonial fund for George Thompson and discussing the circular for the fund.
11 Aug. 1864
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to [Francis Jackson Garrison?] suggesting that he continue his visit with the Daniel Mann family in Oakdale, Mass. "a week or ten days longer."
12 Sep. 1864
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Auburn, N.Y.) to Samuel May, Jr. on the approaching marriage of William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. to Ellen Wright.
21 Nov. 1864
Receipt in William Lloyd Garrison's hand for $37 from Garrison for erecting a fence at his home, signed by True Russell (Roxbury).
16 Aug. 1865
Letter from Fanny Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison referring, evidently, to her case of poison ivy.
17 Aug. 1865
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison noting that George Thompson Garrison briefly commanded his regiment and discussing various family matters.
ca. 26 Nov. 1865
Remarks by William Lloyd Garrison (Springfield, Ill.) on Abraham Lincoln, especially regarding the Emancipation Proclamation, in an address to the Illinois House of Representatives.
28 Jan. 1866
Bill from the Boston Daily Journal to Samuel May, Jr. for $20 for advertising the Garrison Testimonial Fund. Payment received on 30 June.
22 Mar. 1866
Bill from Prentiss & Deland (Boston) to Samuel May, Jr. for $2.75 for 100 billets for the Garrison Testimonial Fund. Payment received on 2 April.
2 Apr. 1866
Printed billet for the Garrison Testimonial Fund announcing Samuel May, Jr. as general agent.
4 Apr.-31 May 1866
Bill from Prentiss & Deland (Boston) to Samuel May, Jr. for $56.98 for a total of 1,875 circulars and 75 billets for the Garrison Testimonial Fund. Payment received by M. Davis on 15 June.
27 June 1866
Bill from the New York Evening Post to James Miller McKim for $10 for advertising the Garrison Testimonial Fund. Payment received by A. B. King for Wm. C. Bryant & Co. on 3 July.
28 June 1866
Bill from the Boston Evening Transcript to Samuel May, Jr. for $11.50 for advertising the Garrison Testimonial Fund. Payment received on the same day.
28 June 1866
Bill from the Boston Daily Advertiser to Samuel May, Jr. for $12.50 for advertising the Garrison Testimonial Fund. Payment received by Joshua Littlefield on 30 June.
12 July 1866
Bill from Prentiss & Deland (Boston) to Samuel May, Jr. for 1,000 circulars for the Garrison Testimonial Fund. Payment received on 17 August.
17 July 1866
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison urging that he visit Rowland T. Robinson in North Ferrisburgh, Vt. and noting an illness of William Lloyd Garrison, Jr.
24 July 1866
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison referring to the former's visit with the James Miller McKim family in Orange, N.J.
7 Aug. 1866
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison referring to the former's visit with the Theodore Tilton family and the receipt of a letter from Fanny Garrison Villard in Paris.
10 Aug. 1866
Receipt from Robert Folger Wallcut (Boston) to Samuel May, Jr. for $28.88 for 600 stamped envelopes for the Garrison Testimonial Fund.
13 Aug. 1866
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Wendell Phillips Garrison asking his opinion of the idea that Francis Jackson Garrison visit Henry and Fanny Garrison Villard in Europe.
14 Aug. 1866
Receipt from William R. Hooper (Leicester, Mass.) to Samuel May, Jr. for $298.72, in three payments, for the former's compensation and expenses incurred in traveling to Boston, Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Cincinnati on behalf of the Garrison Testimonial Fund.
17 Aug. 1866
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Fanny Garrison Villard acknowledging her letter from Zurich and asking about the proposed visit of Francis Jackson Garrison with her and Henry Villard.
12 Sep. 1866
Letter from Samuel J. May (Syracuse, N.Y.) to William Lloyd Garrison regarding May's "Recollections of the Early Anti-Slavery Reformers" in the Christian Register and personal matters.
27-28 Sep. 1866
Letter from Francis Jackson Garrison (Roxbury) to Fanny Garrison Villard regarding his pending visit with the Henry Villard family in Munich, etc. The last page is used for a letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Fanny Garrison Villard about the visit, 28 Sep. 1866.
[10? Oct. 1866]
Farewell note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison evidently written in New York before the latter left for Europe.
12 Oct. 1866
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Fanny Garrison Villard on the departure of Francis Jackson Garrison from New York for Europe.
19 Oct. 1866
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the latter's sea-sickness, Fanny Garrison Villard's illness, and the death of James Brown Yerrinton (1800-1866), printer of the Liberator.
21 Dec. 1866
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison acknowledging letters from him and Fanny Garrison Villard and noting a dispute with a neighbor over the ownership of the rock ledge near the Garrison home.
1867-1872
8 Jan. 1867
Bill from Prentiss & Deland (Boston) to Samuel May, Jr. for $5 relating to the subscription list for the Garrison Testimonial Fund. Payment received by M. S. Pond.
19 Feb. 1867
Bill from the Boston Daily Advertiser to Samuel May, Jr. for $10 for 800 copies of a printed testimonial to William Lloyd Garrison. Payment received by Joshua Littlefield on the same day.
5 Mar. 1867
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison referring to the former's recent lecture, "Our National Situation," and his plans for a European trip beginning in May.
27 Mar. 1867
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the former's proposed European trip and the funeral of Samuel Oliver Chace (b. 1843).
[May-Aug. 1867]
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. regarding the former's expenses and a financial misunderstanding between Henry Villard and Horace White, editor of the Chicago Tribune. Unaddressed, unsigned, apparently incomplete.
7 May 1867
Power of attorney from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr., executed on the day before the former departed for Europe.
12 June 1867
Receipt from Charles Henry Plummey (Providence, R.I.) to Samuel May, Jr. for $122.50 as commissions in collecting certain subscriptions to the Garrison Testimonial Fund.
[Late July-early Aug. 1867]
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. regarding the former's expenses in England and plans for returning to Boston. Incomplete.
5 Aug. 1867
Receipt from Charles H. Brainard (Boston) to Samuel May, Jr. for $14 for the former's commissions and expenses incurred in making collections in Fall River, Mass. for the Garrison Testimonial Fund.
[27 Aug. 1867]
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to "Henry Villard, American Consulate, Munich--We shall follow your advice--off for Geneva Thursday evening. Home postponed." (entire)
11 Sep. 1867
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Interlaken, Switzerland) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. noting the former's economical habits and suggesting that he would decline the Garrison Testimonial Fund if held in trust for him rather than transferred to him. Postscript on a separate slip.
18 Oct. 1867
Bill from the Boston Daily Advertiser to Samuel May, Jr. for $13 for 800 testimonials for the Garrison Testimonial Fund. Payment received by Joshua Littlefield on 23 October.
6 Dec. 1867
Receipt from Charles H. Brainard (Boston) to the Committee for the Garrison Testimonial Fund for $5 for collecting gifts to the fund in Haverhill, Mass.
1868
"List of friends to whom copies of the 'London Breakfast' volume were sent." A list of about 86 individuals and 8 libraries, recipients of Proceedings at the Public Breakfast Held in Honour of William Lloyd Garrison...in St. James's Hall, London, on Saturday, June 29th, 1867 (London, 1868).
5 Nov. 1868
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Caroline Weston (1808-1882) regarding the visit to the United States of Richard Davis Webb and Mary A. Estlin (d. 1902) and the illness of Helen Eliza Garrison.
5 Feb. 1869
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding Richard Davis Webb: "Mr. Webb will come here a quarter before 5 this afternoon, to go out with you to Rockledge." (entire)
1 Apr. 1869
Accounts by William Endicott, Jr. (1809-1881) (Boston) of the Garrison Testimonial Fund, 1866-1869, endorsed by Samuel E. Sewall on the same day and by Samuel May, Jr. on 21 April.
27 May 1869
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison to buy ice cream and knick-knacks for the evening visit of Sarah Benson Tillinghast (b. 1832).
22 Mar. 1870
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to John Bright: "(Private.) [dateline] The leading citizens of Massachusetts would be highly gratified by the appointment of George Thompson, Esq., to the vacant English Consulate here." (entire)
22 Mar. 1870
Petition to John Bright: "The undersigned, citizens of Boston, would be highly gratified by the appointment of George Thompson to the vacant English Consulate in this Commonwealth." (entire) Signed by William Claflin (1818-1905), governor of Massachusetts, and Thomas Russell (1825-1887), collector of the Port of Boston.
18 July 1870
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Providence, R.I.) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding a visit of the former and Helen Eliza Garrison with the Henry Anthony family and a peace lecture in Providence by W. G. Hubbard.
29 Oct. 1870
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison accompanying a $10 gift on his 22nd birthday.
6 Dec. [1870?]
Note from William Lloyd Garrison: "The door-keeper will please admit my son and daughter to Mr. Phillips's lecture this evening, at Music Hall, as I have mislaid my season ticket." (entire)
1 Jan. 1872
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison accompanying a New Year's gift.
15 Apr. 1872
Telegram, in another hand, from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Francis Jackson Garrison: "Meeting to-night Methodist vestry not Unitarian East Cambridge." (entire)
6 July 1872
Note from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Francis Jackson Garrison: "Go out to Somerville this afternoon, and give your mother a ride to-morrow. Send a telegram to her." (entire)
26 Nov. 1872
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison enclosing a ticket for a play they planned to see together. Written on stationary of the American Tract Society.
25 Dec. 1872
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison accompanying a $10 Christmas gift.
1873-1878
29 Oct. 1873
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison accompanying a gift on his 25th birthday.
18 Nov. 1873
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison: "Frank will please put some fresh coal into the grate." (entire)
25 Dec. 1873
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to [Francis Jackson Garrison?]: "Many happy returns of the day." Endorsement of the amount of the gift, $10.
3 Feb. 1874
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison to Wendell Phillips Garrison regarding the plans of the Henry Villard family to move to Portland, Oregon. Written on a letter from Helen Eliza Garrison to Wendell Phillips Garrison regarding illnesses of the Henry Villard children and others and quoting letters from Fanny Garrison Villard, 3 [Feb.] 1874. Misdated 3 Jan. 1874.
31 Mar. 1874
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Elias Nason answering his questions about the attachment of Charles Sumner to the anti-slavery cause, stressing that it was relatively late.
8 June 1874
Printed leaflet announcing a subscription for the support of the widow of William C. Nell (1816-1874), both by a gift and by buying from her a complete set of the Liberator for presentation to Cornell University. Endorsed by William Lloyd Garrison: "Contribution may be sent to Mr. Phillips or to the undersigned, 125 Highland Street." (entire)
9 July 1874
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Elias Nason praising his biography of Charles Sumner.
30 Aug. 1874
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Anne Warren Weston (1812-1890) regarding his sciatica and suggesting that he visit her in Weymouth, Mass.
1 [Jan.?] 1875
Letter from Agnes Garrison (b. 1866), daughter of Ellen Wright Garrison and William Lloyd Garrison, Jr., to "Aunt Lidy" wishing her a happy new year. Note on verso from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison: "Frank will find in the oven a bowl of oysters." (entire)
[3 Feb. 1875]
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison on chores before going to bed, written on the back of a letter of the same date from John W. Simmons (Canton, N.Y.) requesting Garrison's autograph.
8 Nov. 1875
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison: "Frank--I have got home from the Oratorio, and gone to bed." (entire)
15 Nov. 1875
Loan of $7,500, for five years at 7%, from the Lynn Institution for Savings (Boston), signed by William Lloyd Garrison, witnessed by Alex F. Wadsworth, and secured by a mortgage on Garrison's home. Printed form. Semi-annual interest payments noted on verso. Loan stamped paid on 3 Jan. 1881.
21 June 1876
Letter from S. W. Green (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison, whom he missed when visiting Boston the preceding Friday because it was a holiday. Letter on verso from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison referring to two outings, etc., 23 June 1876.
1 Aug. 1876
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Samuel May, Jr. concerning the presidential campaign, in which a Democratic victory would be a "calamity."
25 Dec. 1876
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison to Samuel May, Jr. regarding the former's "almost solitary" life, his Christmas gift to May, his published letter to James Freeman Clarke (1810-1888), etc.
7 Mar. 1877
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Samuel May, Jr. regarding the autobiography of Harriet Martineau and the health of Robert F. Wallcut.
13 Mar. 1877
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Samuel May, Jr. critical of Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899) and Flavius Josephus (Joseph) Cook (1838-1901). An inscription for the copy of Harriet Martineau's autobiography which Garrison had given to May has been clipped out.
22 May 1877
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (New York) to Samuel May, Jr. regarding the former's impending trip to England with Francis Jackson Garrison. Postscripts on the deaths of Lucy McKim Garrison (1842-1877) and Edmund Quincy (1808-1877).
29 Sep. 1877
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Francis Jackson Garrison on visiting the Samuel E. Sewall family in Melrose, Mass.
7 Dec. 1877
Letter from Francis Jackson Garrison (Roxbury) to Daniel Henry Chamberlain (1835-1907) stating the former's intention to call on him in New York. Typewritten copy. On verso is an incomplete copy of a letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Francis Jackson Garrison wishing that he might accompany him to New York, 9 Dec. 1877. Also on verso is an early anti-slavery statement by William Lloyd Garrison.
29 Dec. 1877
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the former's activities while visiting the Henry Villard family, etc.
21 Feb. 1878
Note from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison: "See that pussy is put down cellar. You will find plenty of milk for her and for yourself." (entire)
16 May 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison on delaying a return from a visit in New York so as to see Coney Island, etc.
22 May 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison to Fanny Garrison Villard regarding the bust of Garrison sculpted by Anne Whitney (1821-1915) and referring to several friends and members of the family.
19 July 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Tarrytown, N.Y.) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the former's trip to an estate near Tarrytown, rented for the season by Henry Villard, and noting excursions to nearby sites associated with Washington Irving.
24 July 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Tarrytown, N.Y.) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding their plans for a trip to Mount Desert Island, Maine, and the former's "inflammation of the spine."
26 July 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Tarrytown, N.Y.) to Francis Jackson Garrison stating the former's inclination not to go to Mount Desert Island, Maine.
26 July 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Tarrytown, N.Y.) to Francis Jackson Garrison referring to two guide books on Mount Desert Island, Maine, and discussing further the possibility of a trip there.
29 July 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison to Francis Jackson Garrison ending plans for a trip to Mount Desert Island, Maine, as the latter planned to visit Tarrytown, and referring to a "very considerable eclipse of the sun" expected that afternoon.
31 July 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Tarrytown, N.Y.) to Deborah Weston (b. 1814) regarding his visit at Tarrytown and thanking her for a prescription to induce sleeping.
25 Aug. 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Lydia Maria Child (1802-1880) regarding her book Aspirations of the World.
11 Sep. 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Tarrytown, N.Y.) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. regarding the former's poor health; a local fair for "yellow fever sufferers at the South," especially Memphis; and the difficulties created by Jay Gould (1836-1892) for the receivership of the Kansas Pacific Railway of Henry Villard.
14 Sep. 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Tarrytown, N.Y.) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the former's plans for side trips to Orange, N.J., and Philadelphia.
20 Sep. 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Germantown, Pa.) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the former's visits with friends in and near Philadelphia.
25 Sep. 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Tarrytown, N.Y.) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the visit to Tarrytown of William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. and his wife, etc.
19 Oct. 1878
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to Frederick Gutekunst (1831-1917), a Philadelphia photographer, acknowledging a packet of photographs of Garrison.
1879-1882
4 Jan. 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Caroline C. Thayer thanking her for a bead ball and other Christmas and New Year's gifts.
7 Jan. 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Samuel May, Jr. thanking him for a Christmas gift of a volume of poetry and noting Garrison's recent visit to New York. Incomplete and unsigned.
15 Jan. 1879
Excerpt, in another hand, of a letter from William Lloyd Garrison to William Green (West Newton, Mass.) on "just recovering from a violent cold."
[Feb.? 1879]
List of 67 "Persons to whom W.L.G. sent his Chinese Treaty correspondence with [James G.] Blaine, February 1879." Note by Francis Jackson Garrison.
20 Feb. 1879
Postcard from Francis Jackson Garrison (Boston) to Wendell Phillips Garrison noting William Lloyd Garrison's sore throat.
7 Mar. 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Boston) to A. J. Grover of Chicago regarding their opposition to Chinese exclusion measures. Copy not in Garrison's hand.
25 Mar. 1879
Handbill printing of a letter from William Lloyd Garrison to F. G. Adams, secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society in Topeka, regarding anti-slavery efforts in Kansas before the Civil War. With corrected proof by William Lloyd Garrison.
14 Apr. 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (Roxbury) to Mary Pratt regarding her engagement to Francis Jackson Garrison.
22 Apr. 1879
Letter from Mary Pratt (Millville, N.J.) to William Lloyd Garrison acknowledging his letter of 14 April regarding her engagement to Francis Jackson Garrison.
29 Apr. 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (New York) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. regarding the former's trip to New York, his kidney obstruction, and the collection of funds for the relief of Black people leaving the South.
1 May 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (New York) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. regarding the former's health and the designation of funds collected for the relief of Black refugees in St. Louis.
1 May 1879
Postcard from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the deteriorating health of William Lloyd Garrison.
2 May 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the former's health, the fund for Black refugees, and plans for the latter and his fiancée to visit New York.
3 May 1879
Letter from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the declining health of William Lloyd Garrison, a dinner at the home of Horace White, and "cheering" news of business affairs of Henry Villard in San Francisco.
4 May 1879
Letter from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the relief William Lloyd Garrison gained from the use of a catheter.
5 May 1879
Postcard from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison referring to William Lloyd Garrison's health.
6 May 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding contributions for the relief of refugees from the South.
6 May 1879
Postcard from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison noting a drive in Central Park with William Lloyd Garrison.
7 May 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison (New York) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr., including the draft of a letter by the former acknowledging "Aid for the Colored Refugees" for the latter to place in certain Boston papers.
8 May 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison to [Mary Caroline (Sweetser)] Quincy acknowledging her donation to the fund for Black refugees. Incomplete and unsigned, although Garrison inscribed and autographed a poem on the inside fold. A note accompanying the manuscript reads: "Last thing written by W.L.G. May 8, 1879."
8 May 1879
Card from Fanny Garrison Villard to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding medical treatments for William Lloyd Garrison.
13 May 1879
Postcard from Fanny Garrison Villard to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding the worsened health of William Lloyd Garrison.
14 May 1879
Letter from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding William Lloyd Garrison's nervous condition.
15 May 1879
Letter from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding William Lloyd Garrison's health.
15 May 1879
Telegraph strip from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr.: "Dr. used the instrument with perfect success. Nervous prostration great but trust it will be better soon. Father had a very comfortable night."
16 May 1879
Letter from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison noting calls by three reporters wanting stories of William Lloyd Garrison's health.
16 May 1879
Telegraph strip from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr.: "Great improvement in father. I expect him to get well rapidly. Feel pleased and flattered at the new baby's name."
17 May 1879
Letter from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison, mostly concerning William Lloyd Garrison's health.
17 May 1879
Telegraph strip from William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding William Lloyd Garrison's health: "Comfortable night. Steady improvement. Hopeful prospect. Particulars by mail."
19 May 1879
Letter from William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison suggesting, in view of William Lloyd Garrison's health, that the latter or George Thompson Garrison come to New York.
19 May 1879
Letter from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to Mary Pratt regarding William Lloyd Garrison's worsened condition.
20 May 1879
Postcard from Fanny Garrison Villard to Francis Jackson Garrison on William Lloyd Garrison's weakened condition.
20 May 1879
Telegram from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. at Boston, reporting that their father was "failing rapidly" and that he should come at once.
20 May 1879
Telegram from Wendell Phillips Garrison (New York) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. at Roxbury, duplicating, in effect, a telegram from Fanny Garrison Villard of the same day which had been misdirected to Boston.
20 May 1879
Letter from Francis Jackson Garrison (Boston) to Fanny Garrison Villard expressing his wish to come to New York if William Lloyd Garrison's health is failing.
20 May 1879
Letter from Francis Jackson Garrison (Boston) to William Lloyd Garrison expressing his hope that the latter's health is improving and noting a letter to him from Prudence Crandall (1803-1890).
20 May 1879
Telegraph strip from William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison: "Father more comfortable. Return this afternoon shore line. Don't come."
21 May 1879
Telegram from Wendell Phillips Garrison (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison, onboard train from Boston, regarding William Lloyd Garrison's health.
21 May 1879
Telegram from Francis Jackson Garrison (Boston) to Fanny Garrison Villard on his departure for New York.
21 May 1879
Telegraph strip from Fanny Garrison Villard (New York) to William Lloyd Garrison, Jr.: "Situation not changed as much as expected. Father very weak."
25 May 1879
Telegram from William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. (New York) to Francis Jackson Garrison regarding arrangements for a service after the death of William Lloyd Garrison.
25 May 1879
Telegram from Henry Villard (Portland, Oregon) to Fanny Garrison Villard expressing his regret at his absence when William Lloyd Garrison died.
29 May 1879
Special Orders No. 64 of the adjutant general of Massachusetts excusing state employees from duty on 30 May, Decoration Day, and memorializing, in particular, William Lloyd Garrison.
2 Jan. 1882
Letter from William Henry Herndon (1818-1891) (Springfield, Ill.) to [Francis Jackson?] Garrison enclosing William Lloyd Garrison's eulogy on Abraham Lincoln, delivered in Springfield about 26 Nov. 1865.
Preferred Citation
William Lloyd Garrison papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.