Wolfgram1

Natalie Wolfgram

Professor Zuccarini

History 151

30 April 2018

Module 9: Nano-History Research Paper

David Walker was born in 1796 or 1797 (some sources also say he was born in 1785) in

Wilmington, North Carolina. Throughout his young life, he endured slavery and racism, which

led him to write an pamphlet in 1829, that persuaded African Americans to fight for freedom and

equality. Even though he was heavily criticized for inciting violence, but he also made a huge

change in the abolition movement.

In his early life, Walker’s father was a slave, but his mother was a free woman, thus

following the state’s laws, he inherited his mother’s liberated status (“David Walker”). However,

just because he was free it did not keep him from witnessing the awful conditions of slavery. He

eventually left the south, stating that "If I remain in this bloody land, I will not live long. . . . I

cannot remain where I must hear slaves' chains continually and where I must encounter the

insults of their hypocritical enslavers." (Inscoe). Walker left Wilmington between 1815 and

1820. He began traveling the country and spent some time in Charleston, South Carolina, which

had a large population of free African Americans. Then, he was settled in Boston by 1825. After

being in the city for only a short time, Walker had become the owner of a successful second hand

clothing business. He was also very active in leading a hand to the poor and needy, including

runaway slaves. He truly earned a reputation within Boston’s African American community for

his generosity and compassion.

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In February 1826, David Walker married Eliza Butler, member of a prominent African

American Boston family. During this time, he began to associate with prominent black activists.

He listened to groups that denounced slavery in the South and discrimination in the North. He

also became involved with the nation’s first African American newspaper, the Freedom’s

Journal out of New York City, to which he frequently contributed his ideas (“David Walker”

PBS). By the end of 1828, he had become Boston’s leading spokesman against slavery.

In September of 1829 he published the Appeal. His intention with this was to reach his

primary audience of the enslaved men and women of the south. Walker relied on sailors and ship

officers who could transfer the pamphlet around to the southern ports. Walker even used his

clothing business as a advantage, with it being so close to the water, it served sailors who were

buying clothing for upcoming voyages. He began to sew copies of his pamphlets into the lining

of the sailors’ clothing. Once the pamphlets finally reached the South, they could be distributed

throughout the region.

The Appeal made a great impression in the South, with both slaves and slaveholders. To

the slaves the words were inspiring and infused a sense of pride and hope. However, the white

people were enraged and new laws were enacted forbidding slaves to learn and to read so they

could not read the pamphlet. They also offered $3,000 as a reward for David Walker’s head and

$10,000 to anyone who could bring him home to the South alive. Friends began to worry for his

safety and they encouraged him to flee to Canada. Walker refused though and would stand his

ground. “Somebody must die in this cause,” he added. “I may be doomed to the stake and the

fire, or to the scaffold tree, but it is not in me to falter if I can promote the work of emancipation”

(“David Walker- Radical for Justice.”).

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In June of 1830, David Walker published a third edition of his Appeal in June of 1830.

Just two months after the pamphlet came out, David was found dead in his shop. Many people

suspected he died of poison, however, later historians believe he may have died of tuberculosis.

The same disease that also took his daughter’s life. As a result, David Walker made huge

advancements in the abolition movement during this time.

Bibliography
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“David Walker.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 14 Sep. 2015,

www.biography.com/people/david-walker-9521982.

“David Walker.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 19 May 2010,

www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2930.html.

“David Walker- Radical for Justice.” Naked History, Naked History, 12 Sept. 2016,

www.historynaked.com/david-walker-radical-justice/.

Inscoe, John C. “David Walker.” David Walker, 1785-1830, 28 Jan. 2004,

www.docsouth.unc.edu/nc/walker/bio.html.