The 1830s witnessed the emergence of abolitionism: the interracial political and social movement that demanded an immediate end to slavery in the United States. Remarkably ahead of its time, the movement also sought legal rights and integration for free Blacks and the formerly enslaved, putting it at odds with many Americans and with the colonization movement, which sought the emigration of Blacks to Africa. Through anti-slavery societies, publications, lectures, and legal channels, abolitionists forced the controversial topics of slavery and integration into the open, provoking derision and mob violence, but also launching the movement that would ultimately lead to emancipation. Drawing from a robust anti-slavery collection in Pequot Library’s Special Collections, The Tinderbox of the Civil War features publications from Connecticut that illustrate both sides of the debate, including the Charter Oak anti-slavery newspaper; Catherine Beecher’s letter to abolitionist Angelina Grimké; and reports from the trials of educator Prudence Crandall and the Amistad captives. This exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the legacy of these brave men and women and to consider how their activism can continue to inspire.

This exhibition will remain on view from January 25 to May 10, 2025.