PREFACE.

W h i l e m uch has been written concerning the anti-slavery m ovement i n the U nited S tates, the work of historians has been c hiefly d irected toward the r adical m ovement associated w ith t he name of W i l l i a m L l o y d G arrison. T h i s has often been d one a t t he expense of and sometimes to the total neglect of those who f avored gradual emancipation. T h i s inequality of treatment h as been accredited to the fact that the G arrisonian a bolitionists w ere exceedingly active and vigorous i n their propaganda and n ot to any preponderance of numbers or larger historical s ignificance. T h e gradual emancipationists, u nlike t he followers of G arrison w ho were restricted to the free states, were found i n a ll p arts of the U n i o n . T h e y embraced great numbers of the l eaders i n politics, business, and education; and while far more n umerous i n the free than i n the slave states they nevertheless i ncluded a l arge and respectable element i n M a r y l a n d , V i r g i n i a , K e n t u c k y , T ennessee and M issouri. I t was to be expected that t he gradual emancipationists i n these border states would act w i t h c onservatism. T h e y were themselves sometimes slaveholders and i n any event they saw the difficulties and dangers of any sort of emancipation. T h e i r number was, however, too c onsiderable and their activities too noteworthy to warrant the n eglect which they have received at the hands of the historians of the anti-slavery movement. I n t his volume I have attempted to relate the history of t he anti-slavery movement i n K e n t u c k y to the year 1850 w ith s pecial e mphasis upon the work of the gradual emancipationists. I i ntend later to prepare a second volume which w ill c arry the s tudy t o 1870; and I h ope t hat the appearance of this work w ill e ncourage the promotion of s imilar s tudies i n the other border s tates. I d esire to express m y obligations to those who have aided m e i n the preparation of this work. Though but few can be m entioned by name, the services of a l l are held i n grateful r emembrance. W h i l e most of the work was d one a t C ornell U n i versity, I feel especially indebted to Professor W i l l i a m E . D o d d a nd t o Professor M . W . Jernegan of the U niversity o f Chicago. U nder t heir direction m y graduate study was begun and m y at-