Mr Whittier Author:Elizabeth G. Vining, Elizabeth Janet Gray (Editor) In 1833, when he was 25, John Greenleaf Whittier published a pamphlet calling for the immediate abolition of slavery. This radical step condemned him to poverty because he knew the well-known literary magazines and newspapers would henceforth be closed to his controversial poetry. Nonetheless, he continued to work for the freeing of the slaves b... more »y editing abolitionist newspapers, writing fiery poems against slavery, and supporting antislavery political candidates. But Whittier recognized that abolition was not enough: black people also needed education, money, and -- most important -- respect for their humanity. Passionately interested in the welfare of his fellow human beings everywhere, Whittier wrote poems about the struggle for liberty in Ireland, Poland, Italy, and other countries. He spoke out for women's suffrage, and he spoke out against a different kind of slavery: factory labor where wages were the master. He supported the right to strike; he hated war. Elizabeth Gray Vining's deeply felt biography focuses on Whittier's commitment to the issues of the nineteenth century and their relationship to his poetry and our time. She asks us to take a fresh look at Mr. Whittier "now that young people are again taking a stand on the very issues to which he gave his life and pen."« less