Description
This music cover, published in 1844, is an advertisement for the abolitionist song, "Get Off the Track!" Composed by Jesse Hutchinson, Jr., it was dedicated to Nathaniel Peabody Rogers, an antislavery editor.
The image is full of symbolism. We see a railroad car, "Immediate Emancipation," being pulled by a locomotive titled "Liberator." The Liberator was the name of a popular antislavery newspaper, published by William Lloyd Garrison in Boston. The Emancipation car has two flags, which show the names of two other prominent abolitionist publications, "Herald of Freedom" and "American Standard."
The car is followed by the "Repealer" pulling "Liberty Votes and Ballot Boxes." "Repealer" is thought to refer to "the Irish insurgent movement," which supported the repeal of the Legislative Union. Many abolitionists allied with this cause.
The trains are seen approaching a station. In the distance, two other trains, "Van" and "Clay," crash into one another, an allusion to Martin Van Buren and Henry Clay, presidential hopefuls of the time.
The main purpose of the abolitionist movement was to free all slaves and put an end to segregation and racial discrimination. Abolitionists differed from other anti-slavery advocates, calling for immediate emancipation (versus gradual) and complete eradication of slavery (instead of just restricting slavery to certain areas). Although such feelings had emerged during the American Revolution, the movement did not truly begin until the 1830s. The ideas gained popularity in both politics and Northern churches, fueling animosity between the North and South.
Identifier
Abolitionist, Emancipation, Hutchinsons, Slavery