This source comes from the New York Public Library Digital Collections and was published in 1843. The source addresses the man by the name of Benjamin Lay. To better understand this source, it is important to know the history of slavery in the United States. Slavery dates thousands of years back and there were many different forms throughout the time it existed. Slavery is when humans are owned as property and are forced to do labor. A slave was deprived of almost all their rights, and they were not free as humans. In the fifteenth century, the transatlantic slave trade began. During this time, millions of Africans were taken forcibly from their homelands and put to work in America. Slaves are what fueled the economy because without them not nearly as much work would have been done. They filled many different roles and had harsh punishments if they didn’t do what was expected of them. The slavery era was horrible, and it wasn’t for a long time before we saw it start to decline.

Benjamin Lay, who lived from January 26th, 1682 until February 8th, 1759, was one of the first people to speak against slavery. He was huge for the abolition of slavery which began its efforts in the early eighteenth century. He was born in Essex, England but spent a lot of his time in the state of Pennsylvania before moving back to Colchester, England. He was known for having disabilities and an odd body. An academic journal from Disability Studies Quarterly titled, “Aberrations in the Body and in the Body Politic: The Eighteenth-Century Life of Benjamin Lay, Disabled A Colchester abolitionist”, states, “He was hunch-backed, with a projecting chest, below which his body became much contracted. His legs were so slender as to appear almost unequal to the purpose of supporting him, diminutive as his frame was, in comparison with the ordinary size of the human stature.” From this, we can see that he used his issues to help him in his goal to abolish slavery. Also, from the picture in the source, it is clear to see that he was small with dainty legs and used a cane. It tells us he was only four feet seven inches. Because of his strange appearance, he became easily recognizable by people in his area. This was extremely helpful as he began to speak out about slavery because everywhere he went people could and easily recognize him. This made his following grow rather quickly as more and more people started to agree with him. Lay used his disabilities to ask the government why they would care for him but would treat people, in this case, slaves, with such harm. A journal from Gale Academic titled “Quaker Awakening” tells us that Benjamin Lay once said, “”Ah, you pretend compassion for me but you do not feel for the poor slaves in your fields, who go all winter half clad.”” This is Lay questioning why they don’t treat slaves well. This was only the beginning as Lay was involved in and started many more protests.

Benjamin Lay was a part of a group called the Quakers. The Quakers were a religious group that was known for living a simple lifestyle and having beliefs that emphasized the equality of all people. Because of this, they were among the earliest advocates for the abolition of slavery and played a huge role in slavery finally coming to an end. He began his protests by questioning the use of slavery in his Quaker community. He would often disrupt Quaker meetings and public gatherings to demand the end of slavery. Quakers were one of the first groups to realize the harm of slavery. A journal from Project Muse titled, “Quakers as Political Players in Early America” talks about the Quaker community and states, “Many Quakers were dismayed by what they saw, and they privately expressed concern that slavery had corrupted South Carolina’s white society.” When the Quakers saw how slaves were being treated, they were in shock. It makes sense that Lay was a part of this group because he influenced the people around him. Lay was able to first push anti-slavery in the Quaker community, leading to more and more areas following along. The journal continues on to say, “This pattern of behavior continued among antislavery Quakers through the revolutionary era.” So, it is clear to see that this behavior was not short-lived and that through Lay’s actions within his community, he was able to make a big change in the world.

Nathaniel Smith Kogan. “Aberrations in the Body and in the Body Politic: The Eighteenth-Century
Life of Benjamin Lay, Disabled Abolitionist.” Disability Studies Quarterly 36, no. 3 (August 1, 2016). doi:10.18061/dsq.v36i3.5135.

Alice, Watts. “Quaker Awakening.” American History 56, no. 1 (April 2021): 58–65. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=fth&AN=148670668&site=eds-live.

“Quakers as Political Players in Early America.” William & Mary Quarterly 74, no. 1 (January 1, 2017): 35–42. doi:10.5309/willmaryquar.74.1.0035.