Emerson's Antislavery Writings [Paperback]

Ralph Waldo Emerson (Author), Professor Len Gougeon (Editor), Professor Joel Myerson (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0300094027 | ISBN-13: 978-0300094022 | Publication Date: March 1, 2002

Although Ralph Waldo Emerson is commonly recognized as one of the most radical thinkers and important reformers of his age, little has been said regarding his thoughts on the most critical reform of his period - the abolition movement. This book presents, for the first time, a comprehensive and authoritative collection of Emerson's writings against slavery and the subjugation of American Indians, writings that reveal Emerson's deep commitment to this reform movement. Len Gougeon and Joel Myerson introduce the collection with a substantial historical overview that puts Emerson's contribution to the abolition movement in its social and political context, shows existing historical treatments of Emerson and the transcendentalists, and provides a wealth of references to secondary reading on these subjects. The book then presents fourteen speeches and four letters by Emerson. Four of his speeches have been recovered from contemporary newspaper accounts and have never been collected in any edition of Emerson's writings. Nine were published posthumously in corrupted form in either the 1884 or the 1904 edition of Miscellanies, and five of these nine are edited from manuscript here. Emerson's 1855 "Lecture on Slavery, " one of his most comprehensive and philosophical statements on the subject, is now published for the first time. The letters include Emerson's famous correspondence with President Van Buren about the Cherokees.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Taken together, this group of writings constitutes a critical mass of evidence that demonstrates Emerson's continuous involvement in protest against slavery and other forms of social oppression much more dramatically than has been done before." Lawrence Buell, Harvard University "This valuable collection contains eighteen works by Emerson on the subject of slavery written between 1838 and 1863... The texts are well annotated, and a historical introduction rightly demonstrates Emerson's important participation in the abolition movement." Nineteenth-Century Literature "This new volume... seeks to put Emerson's views on abolitionism in a clearer light while fitting the writings into the larger frame of his philosophy of social reform... A skillfully edited volume... that adds to a deeper understanding of Emerson's thought." Charles Sermon, State

From the Back Cover

"Taken together, this group of writings constitutes a critical mass of evidence that demonstrates Emerson's continuous involvement in protest against slavery and other forms of social oppression much more dramatically than has been done before."—Lawrence Buell, Harvard University "This valuable collection contains eighteen works by Emerson on the subject of slavery written between 1838 and 1863. . . . The texts are well annotated, and a historical introduction rightly demonstrates Emerson's important participation in the abolition movement."—Nineteenth-Century Literature "This new volume . . . seeks to put Emerson's views on abolitionism in a clearer light while fitting the writings into the larger frame of his philosophy of social reform. . . . A skillfully edited volume . . . [that adds] to a deeper understanding of Emerson's thought."—Charles Sermon, State

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300094027
• ISBN-13: 978-0300094022
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,145,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential resource, April 5, 2011

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M. J. Newhouse "Philoctetes" (Winchester, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Emerson's Antislavery Writings (Paperback)

This was a much-needed volume when it was published, at last collecting in one plae all of Emerson's preserved anti-slavery writings, addresses and lectures on the subject. It remains an invaluable resource for the student of Emerson and, at long last, helps focus attention on Emerson's political, abolitionist activism during the antebellum period. In particular, Emerson's two important addresses in opposition to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 are strong, stirring moral statements against the evils of slavery and the immoral laws that supported it.