Rochester[,] N.Y. 27 May 1859.

HON: Mrs E. CROPPER.
DEAR MADAM:
I have just received, from my kind friend, Mrs Crofts,¹ Julia Griffiths Crofts. of Huddersfield,²Located in West Yorkshire in north-central England, Huddersfield sits on the Colne River. In the mid-nineteenth century, the area was known for its production of cotton and woolen textiles. The town also manufactured machinery and other metal products. Cohen, , 2:1326. the sum of ten pounds, which she received, as a donation in aid of the publication of my anti slavery papers, from the Liverpool Anti slavery SocietyLiverpool Anti-Slavery Society

The Liverpool Anti-Slavery Society, or the Liverpool Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, was established in 1822 by James Cropper, a British Quaker and merchant. Many of Cropper’s female relatives were also involved in the antislavery movement, and played an active role in the development of the Liverpool Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Association in 1827. Margaret Denman Cropper, James Cropper’s daughter-in-law, served as president of the Liverpool Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Association in the 1850s. In the June 1859 edition of Douglass’ Monthly, Douglass acknowledged the monetary donation made by the Liverpool Anti-Slavery Society, which he mentions in this letter. DM, 1:89 (June 1859); David B. Davis, “James Cropper and the British Anti-Slavery Movement, 1821-1823,” JNH, 45:251 (October 1960); idem, “James Cropper and the British Anti-Slavery Movement, 1823-1833,” JNH, 46:154 (April 1961); Brian Howman, “Abolition in Liverpool," in Liverpool and Transatlantic Slavery, ed. David Richardson, Suzanne Schwarz, and Anthony Tibbles (Liverpool, Eng., 2007), 277. ³The Liverpool Anti-Slavery Society, or the Liverpool Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, was established in 1822 by James Cropper, a British Quaker and merchant. Many of Cropper’s female relatives were also involved in the antislavery movement, and played an active role in the development of the Liverpool Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Association in 1827. Margaret Denman Cropper, James Cropper’s daughter-in-law, served as president of the Liverpool Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Association in the 1850s. In the June 1859 edition of , Douglass acknowledged the monetary donation made by the Liverpool Anti-Slavery Society, which he mentions in this letter. , 1:89 (June 1859); David B. Davis, “James Cropper and the British Anti-Slavery Movement, 1821-1823,” , 45:251 (October 1960); idem, “James Cropper and the British Anti-Slavery Movement, 1823-1833,” , 46:154 (April 1961); Brian Howman, “Abolition in Liverpool," in , ed. David Richardson, Suzanne Schwarz, and Anthony Tibbles (Liverpool, Eng., 2007), 277. of which you are president. The help thus rendered me is most gratefully appreciated—and I beg that you will accept my warmest thanks for it, on my own account and in behalf of the cause of the american slaves—whose servant I am. You will Do me a kindness by making my thankfulness known to the members of the Liverpool society.

The anti slavery cause is, certainly, going forward steadily in the U.S. Its progress, however, is not to be determined by the number or the activity of special antislavery organizations. The number and efficiency of these are not so great now as ten years ago—when agents were supported and sent out into all parts of the Country to lecture upon the evils of slavery, and the duty of emancipation. There is much of this work yet to be done—and much of it being done—but the pen and press are doing more than formerly. Books, letters, and pamphlets—newspapers, and tracts are more abundant—and our work of leavening the public mind is being done more silently—than in the days of meetings and mobs. If less is done by organizations—more is done by individuals. Besides, the subject has got before societies and Churches from which it was formerly excluded—and is undergoing discussion in them, such as it used only to get in special anti slavery meetings. Slavery is such an enormity that it cannot bear the light of discussion. If we can only keep it before the people—The people will,

sooner or later, learn to abhor it and seek its abolition. The fact that I have been a slave—and am a Colored man—and have devoted twenty years to the service of the cause of Emancipation—has done much to incline the people to read what I write and listen to what I have to say on the subject of slavery. I am often called upon to address public meetings—to draw up resolution—and write petitions, in reference to the rights and wrongs of my people. The more independently I can perform these services—of course, the more efficiently I can do so. The assistance I receive from abroad has, therefore, a double value—it facilitates my movements—and renders it unnecessary when I wish to labor in this or that place, to look around for the means by which I am to go and come. It gives me influence with my people, since they are not, immediately, called upon to give of their penury to support me in what I do for them. My paper [which is] publish[ed] weekly—is not a source of pecuniary advantage—but a means of spreading antislavery sentiments before the public—What therefore the Liverpool Antislavery Society does for the support of it—the society does for the spread of Antislavery truth among the people of this country. I have but this morning sent off a brother fugitive slave from my house to Canada⁴Frederick Douglass rarely mentioned his participation in the Underground Railroad publicly. The most recent reference to a fugitive slave in Rochester preceding the date of this letter is recorded in the April 1859 edition of Douglass’ Monthly: “A fugitive slave arrived in this city last week by way of the Underground Railroad, and after recruiting a day, was sent on his way to Canada. He was from Richmond, Va., where he held the post of bookkeeper in a large establishment.” , 1:64 (April 1859).—the land of safety. I would have gladly retained here but the (slave hunters) were known to be on his track—and it was thought best that he be sent on immediately. I was talking yesterday with Miss Porter⁵Maria G. Porter, president of the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society in 1859. the treasurer of our Ladies society here—about the condition of the fugitives in Canada—when she very thoughfully Suggested that much suffering might be saved the poor destitute fugitives—if with the clothes and little money we are able to give—we could also furnish them—with an axe—a spade or hoe—so that they could go to work at once many could get work if they had implements to work with. We decided to purchase a quantity of tools—and make every man who comes—a present of one or more as he might need. Again allow me to thank you, and the Liverpool Anti Slavery society—for the material aid you are rendering me in my efforts to free and elevate my people—

I am, Dear Mrs Cropper, Yours in the cause of humanity

FREDERICK DOUGLASS—

ALS: British Abolition Movement Papers, ViU. [Editor's note: since print publication, the text has been checked against a high resolution digital image provided by the repository that owns the original manuscript. As a result, some angle brackets have been removed.]