David Walker's Appeal " I will Stand My Ground"

"I will stand my ground" 

 

 

 

"I will stand my ground. Somebody must die in this cause. I may be doomed to the stake and the fire, or to the scaffold tree, but it is not in me to falter if I can promote the work of emancipation."

 

---------

David Walker 

 

In September of 1829 he published his Appeal. To reach his primary audience -- the enslaved men and women of the South -- Walker relied on sailors and ship's officers sympathetic to the cause who could transfer the pamphlet to southern ports. 

 

Walker even employed his used clothing business which, being located close to the waterfront, served sailors who bought clothing for upcoming voyages. 

 

He sewed copies of his pamphlet into the lining of sailors' clothing. Once the pamphlets reached the South, they could be distributed throughout the region.

 

The Appeal made a great impression to the slaves the words were inspiring and instilled a sense of pride and hope. 

 

Horrified whites, initiated laws that forbade blacks to learn to read and banned the distribution of antislavery literature. 

 

They offered a $3,000 reward for Walker's head, and $10,000 to anyone who could bring him to the South alive. 

 

Friends concerned about his safety implored him to flee to Canada......

 

 A devout Christian, he believed that abolition was a "glorious and heavenly cause."

 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2930.html