William Lloyd Garrison ALS Re: "The Liberator" & American Anti-Slavery Society Anniversary

A 1p autograph letter signed by abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison (1805-1879) as "Wm. Lloyd Garrison" at lower right. May 7, 1857. Boston, Massachusetts. On bifold stationery. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds and a few extra wrinkles. One contemporary cross-out ["the"] found in the first line. The inner and outer pages are blank. Else near fine. 5" x 8.125." Accompanied by provenance information including an eBay invoice and Certificate of Authenticity from The History Store/Remember When Auctions (Wells, Maine) dated March 1999.

Garrison wrote a friend regarding his upcoming trip to New York City, in full:

"Boston, May 7, 1857.

My dear Bramhall:

It would give me great pleasure to comply with the invitation so kindly extended to me, through you, by Mr. and Mrs. Cabot, to accept of their hospitality during the approaching anniversary week; but my old and attached friend John Hopper considers me irrevocably pledged to stay under his roof, and begs me not to disappoint him. I will, however, try to break bread at friend Cabot's, sometime during the week; and I beg you will tell him that I feel greatly obliged to him for his overture.

I was sorry that a blunder was made in regard to your bill for the Liberator, and know not how it happened, as I am very particular in all such cases.

With the highest and warmest regards for yourself, and your dear wife, I remain,

Yours, to the end,

Wm. Lloyd Garrison."

William Lloyd Garrison addressed this letter to "my dear Bramhall," almost certainly his friend and fellow abolitionist Cornelius Bramhall (1811-1896), first of Boston and later New York/New Jersey. Bramhall and his wife Ann were members of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society from 1838-1855, and transferred their membership to the New York Anti-Slavery Society from 1856-1864. The couple was also involved with the American Anti-Slavery Society, the abolitionist organization co-founded by William Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan in 1833. The primary objective of the AASS was the complete and immediate end of slavery in the United States.

In the letter, Garrison discusses an upcoming anniversary, almost certainly the 23rd anniversary of the American Anti-Slavery Society, which was celebrated in May 1857 in New York City. The highlight of AASS anniversary celebrations included a speech by its principal speaker, the former slave and activist Frederick Douglass. Douglass delivered an address concerning Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney and the recent Dred Scott decision at the New York Club Assembly Rooms on May 14, 1857. Douglass's speech is still widely studied today in the context of the Civil Rights movement.

Garrison's letter also mentions other abolitionist activists like John Hopper (1815-1864), a Quaker lawyer; and the Cabots, possibly referring to New York abolitionists Samuel Cabot III (1815-1885) and his wife Hannah. Last, Garrison mentions the "Liberator," his influential abolitionist weekly newspaper started in Boston in 1831. Like the American Anti-Slavery Society, the "Liberator" advocated for "immediatism," that is, abolition now and forever.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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