As the Society, the newspaper, and Garrison and his ardent disciples became more and more demanding and “intrusive,” there was the inevitable backlash. Women who used the social custom of the morning call to bring petitions with them were ostracized; businessmen whose office walls were hung with engravings of chained, kneeling, and imploring slaves saw less and less business walk in through their doors; and ministers who preached for abolition and called for their flocks to be active in the cause were shunned by their fellow religious and were quietly stabbed in the back by the same.

Moreover, in 1832 Chapman and 12 other women had founded the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society, and with the encouragement of Garrison sought active roles in the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society: Those attempts to place women in the vanguard were almost certainly a principal cause for the discord and rancor that Chapman chronicles. And there can be little if any doubt that when the whole simmering cauldron brimmed over in 1839 and precipitated this publication, the last degrees of heat were supplied by—the election of Chapman, Lucretia Mott, and Lydia Maria Child to the executive committee of the Massachusetts Society!

Binding: We have traced this book as appearing in wrappers; in plain brown cloth with “Right and Wrong” in gilt sans serif letters on the front cover; and in the same plain brown cloth similarly gilt-titled on the front cover with, additionally, a blind-embossed plaque of a chained and kneeling black slave (above the motto “Oh! Deliver Me.”) on the back cover. This copy is of the plaque-bearing variant.

Provenance:  This copy bears the ownership inscription of Caroline H. Dall (1822–1912) on its front free endpaper. Dall, a noted feminist, abolitionist, reforming Transcendentalist author and lecturer, knew Chapman personally and admired her greatly.  As can be seen in the image below, at right: Following her signature is the sentiment, “A rare and valuable book which should be carefully kept. 1883.”

•  Checklist of American imprints 54889; Library Company, Afro-Americana, 2201. On Chapman, see: McHenry, Famous American Women, pp. 68–69, and DAB, IV, 19. On Dall, see: McHenry, Famous American Women, p. 91, and DAB, V, 35. 19th-century brown cloth with blind-embossed plaque on rear cover as above. Small nick from top of spine; front joint (outside) starting. Volume in very good condition, clean in its neat firm binding with the interesting embossed plaque in strong relief.  Now in a quarter calf clamshell case.