Black Abolitionists' Activism in Lowell
Document 21a

Document 21a: Letter from John N.H. Fountain to J.G. Whittier Thanking Lowellians for Their Contributions to his Wife’s Liberation, The Middlesex Standard, September 20, 1844

Lowell’s Black abolitionists hosted visitors such as John N. H. Fountain, a free Black man who came through Lowell in 1844 to raise funds to purchase his enslaved wife. This letter, published in the Middlesex Standard, was addressed to John Greenleaf Whittier, the editor of the newspaper and an abolitionist.

Vocabulary

Redemption: The action of saving, delivering, or restoring a person
Baptist Association: A group engaged in abolitionist activities as part of Lowell’s First Baptist Church
Mr. Levy: John Levy, resident of Lowell
Conjugal life: Married life
Consolation: The act of comforting

Transcript

For the Middlesex Standard.

Lowell, Mass, Sept 20, 1844.

Mr. J.G. Whittier:

Sir – Permit me through your paper to return my

grateful acknowledgements to yourself and the citi-

zens of Lowell, for their sympathies and most liberal

contributions; and to those churches that so gene-

rously aided me in the redemption of my wife; and

also to the members of the Baptist Association for

the sum they contributed during their sitting

in your city; and also to Mr. Levy and wife for their

kind attention and hospitality. From the measure of

success that I have met with, I am encouraged to

hope that ere long I will be able to enjoy the bles-

sings of conjugal life with my wife, and be able to

call her my own. I hope that the friends of human-

ity may have the blessed consolation of knowing that

they have been instrumental in uniting those to-

gether that the hard-hearted slave holder had sepa-

rated.

Yours, for bleeding humanity,

John N.H. Fountain

Text-Dependent Questions

What individuals and groups were involved in helping John Fountain and what kinds of help did they provide to him?
What does John Fountain mean when he says of his wife that he’ll “be able to call her my own”?

Discussion Questions

How did the institution of slavery – particularly actions by white enslavers – affect the lives and families of Black people?

Print document and transcript

CitationLetter from John N.H. Fountain to J.G. Whittier Thanking Lowellians for Their Contributions to his Wife’s Liberation, The Middlesex Standard, September 20, 1844. American Antiquarian Society, Catalogue Record 5720.

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