Stepping Into History: Elizabeth Buffum Chace's Voice Against Slavery
Introduction: Who Was Elizabeth Chace?
Opening: Establishing My Credentials and Moral Authority
My name is Elizabeth Chace, and I stand before you not only as the daughter of Arnold Buffum, the first president of the New England Anti-Slavery Society, but as a woman shaped by life’s deepest trials.
I speak not only as my father’s daughter, but as a mother who has known loss, as a Quaker who has wrestled with conscience, and as a woman who has opened her home to those fleeing bondage.
My name is Elizabeth Chace, and I stand before you not only as the daughter of Arnold Buffum, the first president of the New England Anti-Slavery Society, but as a woman shaped by life’s deepest trials.
I speak not only as my father’s daughter, but as a mother who has known loss, as a Quaker who has wrestled with conscience, and as a woman who has opened her home to those fleeing bondage.
Core Position: A Call for Immediate Emancipation
I align myself fully with William Lloyd Garrison in the call for immediate emancipation.
We cannot speak of gradual freedom when human souls are suffering in chains.
Would we tell our own children to wait for liberty? Would we ask our own mothers to be patient while their babies are taken from their arms?
The answer is no—and so we must say no to slavery now, without compromise.
I align myself fully with William Lloyd Garrison in the call for immediate emancipation.
We cannot speak of gradual freedom when human souls are suffering in chains.
Would we tell our own children to wait for liberty? Would we ask our own mothers to be patient while their babies are taken from their arms?
The answer is no—and so we must say no to slavery now, without compromise.
Challenging Complacency: Exposing Local and Religious Complicity
Some may say, "This is not our affair—we live in Rhode Island, not South Carolina."
But I say to you: every yard of cotton cloth woven in our mills ties us to this sin.
Even in our own Quaker community, I have seen Friends who hold human beings in bondage.
We cannot claim innocence while we profit from oppression.
Some may say, "This is not our affair—we live in Rhode Island, not South Carolina."
But I say to you: every yard of cotton cloth woven in our mills ties us to this sin.
Even in our own Quaker community, I have seen Friends who hold human beings in bondage.
We cannot claim innocence while we profit from oppression.
Practical Action: What I Have Done—And What We Can All Do
We are not powerless. I have walked door to door in Fall River and Valley Falls, collecting signatures for abolitionist petitions.
We can refuse to buy goods made by enslaved hands.
We can open our hearts—and our homes—to those seeking freedom.
These are not grand gestures, but necessary acts.
We are not powerless. I have walked door to door in Fall River and Valley Falls, collecting signatures for abolitionist petitions.
We can refuse to buy goods made by enslaved hands.
We can open our hearts—and our homes—to those seeking freedom.
These are not grand gestures, but necessary acts.
Maternal Appeal: Speaking to the Mothers Among Us
I speak now especially to the mothers in this assembly.
We, who have known the sacred bond between mother and child—how can we stay silent?
I have looked into the eyes of mothers who fled in the night, clutching their babies, fleeing terror.
I have witnessed their fear, their grief, and their astonishing courage.
To stand by and do nothing is to be complicit in that suffering.
I speak now especially to the mothers in this assembly.
We, who have known the sacred bond between mother and child—how can we stay silent?
I have looked into the eyes of mothers who fled in the night, clutching their babies, fleeing terror.
I have witnessed their fear, their grief, and their astonishing courage.
To stand by and do nothing is to be complicit in that suffering.
Broader Vision: True Freedom Requires Full Rights
Our goal must be not just the end of slavery—but full rights for our Black brethren.
Freedom without equality—without the right to vote, to own property, to live without fear or prejudice—is a hollow victory.
I fight not only for freedom, but for justice.
Our goal must be not just the end of slavery—but full rights for our Black brethren.
Freedom without equality—without the right to vote, to own property, to live without fear or prejudice—is a hollow victory.
I fight not only for freedom, but for justice.
Personal Testimony: Our Home Was a Stop on the Underground Railroad
My husband and I have sheltered fugitives in our home.
We have fed them, clothed them, and helped them on their journey to Canada.
We have lived with our doors bolted day and night, fearing slave-catchers, but refusing to turn anyone away.
This is not bravery—it is our moral duty.
My husband and I have sheltered fugitives in our home.
We have fed them, clothed them, and helped them on their journey to Canada.
We have lived with our doors bolted day and night, fearing slave-catchers, but refusing to turn anyone away.
This is not bravery—it is our moral duty.
Closing Challenge: The Time for Action Is Now
The time for half-measures is past. The time for silence is past.
Every day we delay, families are torn apart.
We will be judged not by our intentions, but by our actions.
I have chosen to act.
What will you choose?
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