What question did this study set out to answer?

The research examines the radical approach of nineteenth-century abolitionists who advocated for disunion to end slavery.

January 25, 2026

No Union with Slaveholders: A Radical, Practical Abolitionist Plan

Key Points

The research examines the radical approach of nineteenth-century abolitionists who advocated for disunion to end slavery.
Historical analysis of abolitionist rhetoric and strategies from the 19th century.
Comparison of disunionist and electoral strategies among reformers.
Examination of public receptions and criticisms of disunionism.
Disunionists argued that dissolving the Union was necessary to end slavery.
Critics viewed disunionism as an impractical approach compared to electoral efforts.
The radical plan of disunionism gained relevance as the Civil War approached.

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Nineteenth-century American abolitionists led by William Lloyd Garrison urged their followers to rally around the unpopular motto “No Union with Slaveholders.” Beginning two decades before the Civil War, they argued that the only way to end slavery was to dissolve the Union. These “disunionists” were criticized by other reformers at the time for doing nothing to advance the cause, especially in comparison to antislavery politicians who believed slavery could be “denationalized” through electoral politics. Like today’s abolitionists, disunionists were often dismissed as impractical idealists. Yet they did have a plan that proved prescient in the end.

Bookmark

Cite This Study

W. Caleb McDaniel (Mon,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6975b20efeba4585c2d6d7e9 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1353/sor.2025.a981021

Bookmark