Abolition Turning american Conscience Aganist the sins of Slavery(Putting the First Amedment to The Test)

 The reason I chose the topic of abolition over the many different chapter’s of mightier than the sword is because the abolition movement was not only about freeing slaves, but was also about ensuring all of our constitutionals freedoms. Reverend Elijah Lovejoy was an abolitionist who lived in Missouri. He was the editor of his pro abolitionist newspaper the St. Louis observer. After receiving many threats by pro slavery forces in Missouri, and on one occasion having his first printing press destroyed by a pro slavery mob, he moved to Illinois which was a free state where he moved to Alton and started the Alton observer, another pro abolitionist newspaper.  

However, once again he found himself under attack by a pro slave mob in that state, and on two more separate occasions his printing press was once again set on fire by pro slave forces. Finally on the night of November 7, 1837 after having purchased his fourth printing press, yet another pro slavery mob surrounded Winthrop Sergeant Gilman warehouse were Love Good stored his printing press, and attempted to burn the building down. Love Good pulled his pistol in an attempt to protect his printing press and was shot and killed by the crowd. His murder was intended to strike a blow to the abolitionist movement, but instead he became a martyr for the cause and his death was the first act of someone dying to protect the first amendment right of the freedom of the press. Lovegood’s sacrifice put the first amendment, freedom of the press, and all the protections granted to Americans under the constitution to the test. For if one of us is enslaved then none of us are free.