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Hunkers

(Encyclopedia) Hunkers, conservative faction of the Democratic party in New York state in the 1840s, so named because they were supposed to “hanker” or “hunker” after office. In opposition to them…

Birney, James Gillespie

(Encyclopedia) Birney, James GillespieBirney, James Gillespiebûrˈnē [key], 1792–1857, American abolitionist, b. Danville, Ky. He practiced law at Danville from 1814 to 1818, before he moved to…

Child, Lydia Maria

(Encyclopedia) Child, Lydia Maria, 1802–80, American author and abolitionist, b. Lydia Maria Francis, Medford, Mass. She edited (1826–34) the Juvenile Miscellany, a children's periodical. She and her…

Lundy, Benjamin

(Encyclopedia) Lundy, Benjamin, 1789–1839, American abolitionist, b. Sussex co., N.J., of Quaker parentage. A pioneer in the antislavery movement, Lundy founded (1815) the Union Humane Society while…

Wright, Elizur

(Encyclopedia) Wright, ElizurWright, Elizurĭlīˈzər [key], 1804–85, American actuary and antislavery leader, b. near Canaan, Conn., grad. Yale, 1826. He taught (1829–33) mathematics at Western Reserve…

Liberty party

(Encyclopedia) Liberty party, in U.S. history, an antislavery political organization founded in 1840. It was formed by those abolitionists, under the leadership of James G. Birney and Gerrit Smith,…

Thayer, Eli

(Encyclopedia) Thayer, Eli, 1819–99, American abolitionist, b. Medon, Mass. He was a Free-Soiler in the Massachusetts legislature (1853–54), organized the New England Emigrant Aid Company for sending…