1n, 1831 William Lloyd Garrison started publishing his antislavery newspaper The Liberator in Boston. Garrison's clear and unabashed abolitionist views expressed in his press were not well received, even in the North. Eight months later, on August 21, Nat Turner led a group of slaves on a bloody rampage through Southampton County, Virginia. Turner and his band eventually killed at least 55 white men, women, and children before they were stopped by the Virginia militia. Turner initially escaped capture by hiding out, but he was caught on October 30, tired and then hanged on November 11. Many Southerners blamed Garrison and his newspaper for bringing abolitionist views to their slaves' knowledge and thus fomenting insurrection. Of course most slaves couldn't read and the circulation of The Liberator was not of much significance this early in its career, but nonetheless, such views were not to be tolerated in the slave states.
The reason I bring this little story up is because @stopbeck seems to want to blame Glenn Beck for some violence in our modern times. He tweeted today:
Disturbing. From @mmfa: "The CA cop shooter and @glennbeck: Here's what we know" http://bit.ly/dmDerR
Now if @stopbeck is going to blame Glenn Beck for inciting this guy in California surely he is prepared to blame American hero William Lloyd Garisson for the murderous acts of Nat Turner.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.