Visualizing Humanity: An Historiographical Analysis of Visual Propaganda in the Abolitionist Movement
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The transatlantic slave trade was central to the economic development of the United States, as it relied on the systematic dehumanization and exploitation of Africans. As this practice grew, so did awareness of the violence, as well as moral contradictions within British settlers, leading abolitionists to seek varied means to end the slave trade. One abolitionist method was propaganda, whether through imagery or speech. This paper argues that propaganda was a central force in transforming slavery’s perception from an economic system into a crisis of human rights. An analysis of the “Am I Not a Man and a Brother?” medallion, the Brookes slave ship diagram and Frederick Douglass’s 1845 autobiography highlights abolitionism’s emotional appeal, visual symbolism and personal testimonies that provoked empathy among the American public. Secondary sources by David Brion Davis, Marcus Rediker and Carolyn Williams complement these primary accounts by providing context on the Enlightenment ideals and activism that shaped the abolitionist movement. Utilizing historiography lends a focused analysis to abolitionist images and narratives. This paper, therefore, discusses the strategy of raising public awareness and heightening the urgency of human dignity for enslaved people.
Author: Edwards, Tayla
Institution: Brock University
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7218217200