Letter from Samuel Joseph May and Harriet Minot Pitman, Haverhill, [Massachusetts], to William Lloyd Garrison, 1835 Sep[tember] 2

Item Information

Title:
Letter from Samuel Joseph May and Harriet Minot Pitman, Haverhill, [Massachusetts], to William Lloyd Garrison, 1835 Sep[tember] 2
Description:
In this letter to William Lloyd Garrison, Samuel Joseph May discusses opposition to the abolitionist cause, saying, "it seems to me that our opposers are doing every thing to help us." He then tells of his visit, together with George Thompson, to the house of John Greenleaf Whittier in Haverhill, and asks "Who could hurt Geo[rge] Thompson if he knew him[?] So generous, disinterested, devoted!" After the additional note by Harriet Minot, May picks up the letter again, now dated "Boston, Sep[tember] 7, 1835," and tells Garrison that he is "very anxious about [George] Thompson," after reports that he "was roughly handled at Concord, N[ew] H[ampshire]." May also mentions a letter he received from [Amos Augustus] Phelps, who "is doing well in the region around Rochester, N[ew] Y[ork]" and stresses the importance of sending "petitions signed by thousands" to Congress. May also shares his regret for attempting to lecture about slavery in Haverhill, stating "there is a base sort of fellow there - and in towns of that size ... who are ready for riot and outrage upon any pretext." Before ending the letter, May reports he heard [George Barrell] Cheever give "an admirable discourse" to the Rhetorical Society in Andover.
Author:
May, Samuel J. (Samuel Joseph), 1797-1871
Author:
Pitman, Harriet Minot, 1815-1888
Addressee:
Garrison, William Lloyd, 1805-1879
Date:
September 2, 1835
Format:
Letters/Correspondence
Manuscripts
Location:
Boston Public Library
Rare Books Department
Collection (local):
Anti-Slavery Collection
Subjects:
Abolitionists--United States--19th century--Correspondence
Antislavery movements--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--Lectures and lecturing--United States--History--19th century
Social reformers--United States--History--19th century
Abolitionists--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--United States
Lectures and lecturing
Social reformers--United States
May, Samuel J. (Samuel Joseph), 1797-1871
Cheever, George B. (George Barrell), 1807-1890
Phelps, Amos A. (Amos Augustus), 1805-1847
Thompson, George, 1804-1878
Garrison, William Lloyd, 1805-1879
Genius of universal emancipation (Baltimore, Md.)
Extent:
1 leaf (4 p.) ; 25 cm.
Permalink:
https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/2z10zg209
Terms of Use:
No known copyright restrictions.
No known restrictions on use.
Place of origin:
Haverhill, [Massachusetts]
Language:
English
Notes:
Holograph, signed.
Title devised by cataloger.
On verso, the letter is addressed to "Mr. William Lloyd Garrison. Brooklyn. Connecticut."
On page 2, an additional letter is written to Garrison, signed by "Henry Wilson," with a later annotation indicating it was written by "Miss Harriet Minot." The letter says "Friend May has gone out in a heavy rain ... [and] has been quite ill for several days," before mentioning that they had read "with a great deal of interest a file of the 'Genius [of Emancipation]' when you and [Benjamin] Lundy were associate editors." They rejoice that Garrison's "devotion to the holy cause of Emanciapation has never been interrupted."
Identifier:
5143517
Call #:
MS A.1.2 v.5, p.47
Barcode:
39999085506218