Editor’s note: This is the 44th in a series of essays on the history and meaning of the American political tradition. The best way to introduce readers to William Lloyd Garrison (1805–1879) is to allow him to speak for himself: “Assenting to the ‘self evident truth that all men are created equal,’ I shall strenuously contend for the immediate enfranchisement of our slave population … I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh as truth, … (read more)
