Arthur Tappan

Arthur Tappan
“You can go wrong with charity.”

Hello! My name is Arthur Tappan and I am from the state of Massachusetts. I am a wealthy business man, I am against the institution of slavery it is an inhumane practice that should be ended as soon as possible. However let me start off with the beginning of my life; I was born May 22, 1786 in a wonderful little town Northampton Massachusetts. At the age of 15 I moved to Boston because my strict religious up bringing. The main part of my reason to move was to enter the dry goods business. About 6 years later I moved that business to Portland Maine. In 1809 I moved the business to Montreal Canada. Even then I still struggled with my business then the outbreak of the war of 1812 didn’t help the situation at all. After that I thought it would be a wise business decision to move back the business back to the states since at that time there was plenty of economic prosperity. Yet even then it still was having trouble. After all of that moving those business decisions were all cahoots so in the year 1826 I decided to open a new business in New York City this business imported silk products. Now it’s about time isn’t it? This new business that I started with my brother was successful. Not only that I made plenty wealth off of it. Ha I made so much wealth I felt like I just robbed the Spanish armada. Cash for gold anyone? No just kidding, but in all seriousness it was very successful, unfortunately the panic of 1837 made me close its doors. However at the dawning of a new decade my brother and I pulled out another business trick that was up our financial sleeve. This new business was profitable it was the first credit rating business in America. However it’s kind of lucrative. Now enough of successful businesses let me tell you something about me I am a very conservative person when it comes to moral outlook. Early on in my life I have used some of my wealth towards philanthropy by helping missionaries, universities, and seminaries theological intellect. In 1827 I established a newspaper called The New York Journal of Commerce. My whole reason for this newspaper was to advertise immoral free advertisements for the public. Some of my other supported movements were temperance, the anti tobacco movement, and I believed that on the day of the holy Sabbath we should go out of our way to observe this holy day of rest. However it was till the later parts of my life until it became completely devoted to the abolitionist movement. I was the founder and president of the American Anti-Slavery Society I also had William Lloyd Garrison join me however I left when he tried to tie my group into other reform groups. This led me to create another reform group called the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. In the 1840’s my brother and I took a political approach to it by voting for the liberty party yet we were unsuccessful. By the year 1850 the passage of the fugitive slave law was passed I was deeply angered and so I publically announced that I supported the Underground Railroad. So is mankind perfect? No! We are far from my friends. Can the legislation change human behavior? Defiantly especially if it is beneficial to the majority, we should also look for immediate changes to society in emancipation were to occur. The only way we are going to fix slavery is if society plays an active role in the anti-slavery campaigns. Also what makes a good society is slavery free and morally clean society. Also I agree with Harriet Beecher Stowe that the passage of the proslavery laws in the year 1850 was a step back for our cause and movements.-S.S.