1843 Call for Revolt

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Garnet

Black abolitionist Henry Highland Garnet called for a slave revolt and general strike of Blacks in America. The call came at a convention of Black men held in Buffalo, New York on August 22, 1843. His call was opposed by many delegated, including Frederick Douglass.

Between August 15-19, 1843, The National Convention of Colored Citizens was held in Buffalo, New York. African American leaders from Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia attended the conference.

The conventions discussed various issues related to the state of African Americans in the United States. The convention discussed colonization efforts in Africa were not always working out. It stressed the education of the African American youth and how important it was to vote.

One of the most important speeches at the convention was that of Reverend Henry Garnet when he called for the slaves to revolt. Garnet had founded the first anti-slavery society in New York in 1834. However, garnet's views were opposed by Frederick Douglas, who advocated for freeing the slaves through peaceful means, not violence.

Garnet enters a resolution on the Convention floor calling on the slaves to revolt. It was brought to a vote three times, and it was narrowly defeated each time.