The role of the Baptist church in the American abolitionist movement is explored in this insightful historical study. Focusing on the period from 1820 to 1860, it examines the complex and often contradictory attitudes of Baptists toward slavery, and their efforts to promote social justice during a turbulent time in American history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.