This book weaves together the stories of Frederick Douglass, Maria Weston Chapman, and William Lloyd Garrison and provides more context in how Douglass first got his start as a speaker on the Abolitionist Circuit. While many people might not realize it, women like Chapman were incredibly important for supporting speakers like Douglass and spreading their word. This wasn't the most lively written book about abolitionism that I have read recently, it would have helped if the writing style was less stilted.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

This book is an enjoyable history of the efforts of Frederick Douglas and William Lloyd Garrison to end slavery. Regrettably, the author Linda Hirshman felt the need to include the story of a supporting character, a woman, that was solely surplusage probably due to the author's feminist leanings. As an aside, I did not like Ms. Hirshman's writing style but you may enjoy it.

Linda Hirshman's "The Color Of Abolition" tells the story of the emergence of the abolition movement that gripped the United States in the early 1800's. She relates the story of Frederick Douglass and his supporters and detractors in chapters that play out as their own unique dramas. The writing is lively and sheds a light on parts of American history that have been obscured. This is a compelling read. Thanks to NetGalley for the preview and opportunity to read this book in advance of its publication. #NetGalley #thecolorofabolition

"The Color of Abolition" by Linda Hirshman, author of "Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment" as well as legal texts, is a new book focusing on the early years of the abolitionist movement in the United States. She traces the beginnings of the earliest abolitionists newspapers and to seminal figures such as William Lloyd Garrison to tracing how Frederick Douglass became involved in the movement. While there may be some collective myths imagining that most abolitionists and folks who supported the movement were in agreement with Frederick Douglass, this book focuses on the rifts that occurred, particularly between him and Garrison. Most histories of this topic have focused on the men involved and ignored the women, in particular, Maria Weston Chapman, who raised money and managed Douglass's speaking tour.

The book provides a comprehensive overview of how Douglass began his speaking engagements. People misunderstand or often don't consider how Frederick Douglass must have felt when he began his earliest speeches, having to deal with a sea of white faces in the audience. He was used to feeling fear, and it took great resilience to speak up. Some of those white faces, including William Lloyd Garrison, supported the momentum behind Douglass's earliest speeches and helped spread awareness of his messages. The book also chronicles Douglass's path to publication for most of his major works while expanding upon the disagreements he and Garrison as well as other folks in the abolitionist cause had, and why.

Next, the book also provides a solid overview of Garrison's life and how he came to be involved in the abolitionist movement. The book also provides great background on the abolitionist newspapers of the 1800s, how they came to establish themselves, and how they proliferated, as well as the challenges they faced on a regular basis.

The reader then learns about the "Contessa," Maria Weston Chapman, who she was, and how she came to play the pivotal role she did in supporting the works of Douglass.

Although some readers may struggle to get through the denser portions in the middle of the book that get into the nitty gritty of the legal matters of the day, including abolitionist members of Congress, this book is definitely a must-buy for libraries, both academic and public, and a well-researched resource on the particular facet that it focuses on.