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=**Wendell Phillips**=
 * November 29, 1811 – February 2, 1884**
 * Abolitionist and Reformist**
 * Years of Importance:** 1836-1854

Wendell Phillips seemed to be a very contradictory man. Phillips, a white male, argued against slavery and fought for women's rights as a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society. Phillips hoped to eventually tear down the walls between whites and blacks along with the dividing distinctions of men and women throughout the country.

In 1836, Wendell Phillips decided to stop practicing law in order to apply himself whole-heartedly to the just cause of slave abolitionism. The methods that Wendell Phillips used to improve American life were lecturing and writing which was directed to the American public. Phillips was very talented with diction and found himself able to sway any crowd in the direction he favored while talking about a controversial topic. One time, Phillips was lecturing a largely-Democratic group of Americans about anti-slavery movements, and one of those Democrats applauded him. His powerful speech skills and marvelous persuasion allowed him to earn prestigious popularity with the slavery abolitionists.

The success of Phillips' advocations were somewhat bittersweet. Phillips found himself in jail for attempting to free slaves from a Boston jail in 1854 which all but ended his momentum as a powerful speaker against abolition, but within the eighteen-year time-frame of Phillips' accomplishments in abolitionism, his life was threatened, his associates were murdered, and his family marveled at his "insane" stance on slavery. Nevertheless, Phillips maintained great composure when dealing with difficult responsibilities and troubled times. His speeches proved to hold the attention of audiences as hostile as if the Whigs and Tories of colonial days found themselves locked in a room with each other for months upon end. Phillips found a solemn way to deal with pressure and felt an immense satisfaction when converting people to the cause of slave-abolitionism.

At the period in history Wendell Phillips lectured against slavery and inequality amongst the American society, his methods were favorable and the most-effective of their time. Lectures and essays, along with journals and novels, were viewed with respect by Americans. Phillips found a way to persuade many people to his side of the cause by lecturing to hostile mobs and prejudiced people of all ages. Even if he did not earn the support of the people who listened, he undoubtedly earned their respect, and that, by far, was the most important attribute to Wendell's success in the abolitionist's cause.

The federal government could have advanced the goals of the abolitionist movement by simply rearranging the law to support the cause of anti-slavery vigilantes. Although a civil controversy would erupt within the states, the practice of slavery would be abolished and illegal and the supporters of anti-slavery (like Wendell Phillips) could sleep soundly knowing that their beliefs became a reality.

References:

Elijah Lovejoy: Wendell Phillips highly applauded Elijah Lovejoy for his patriotic actions against slavery. Lovejoy was murdered by a rampant mob outside of his printing office when they set the building on fire. Lovejoy only wished to protect his beliefs and his livelihood from pro-slavery controversy and fell victim to the cries of cruelty towards mankind. With the sacrifices of Lovejoy's life and prosperity, Phillips was inspired to work harder for the cause of slave abolition.

William Lloyd Garrison: William Lloyd Garrison, similar to Wendell Phillips, despised the fact that the Constitution of the United States allowed slavery to be legal. Both men worked towards the same cause of independence from prejudices. Garrison actually indirectly converted Phillips to the abolition of slavery cause when Phillips heard him speak at a convention in Boston.

Bibliography: Brockett, L.P.. "Wendell Phillips." //All Biographies//. Ziegler and McCurdy, n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. . "Wendell Phillips." //Spartacus Educational//. Spartacus Educational, n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. . "Wendell Phillips - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia."//Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Wikimedia, n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. . "Wendell Phillips Bicentennial Commemoration: Social Justice Then and Now." //Wendell Phillips Bicentennial Commemoration: Social Justice Then and Now//. Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. .