Phillips, Wendell (1811-1884), an orator and reformer, became famous as a supporter of abolition. In Boston in 1837, Phillips delivered an address rebuking those who upheld the mob murder of Elijah P. Lovejoy, an antislavery leader, in Alton, Illinois. Phillips’s address became one of the most famous speeches in history for its protest against mob rule. His other well-known speeches include “The Lost Arts” (1838), “Burial of John Brown” (1859), and “Toussaint L’Ouverture” (1861).
Unyielding in his opposition to slavery, Phillips gave up his law practice in 1837 to join William Lloyd Garrison’s group of abolitionists. He fought courageously against any individual, institution, or law that he thought prevented abolition. Phillips favored ending slavery even at the cost of breaking up the Union. He severely criticized the administration of President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War (1861-1865).
After the war, Phillips held together the American Anti-Slavery Society until the passage of the 15th Amendment. This amendment made it illegal to deny the right to vote on the basis of race. Phillips also became interested in improving conditions for laborers. In 1870, the Prohibition and Labor Reform parties nominated him for governor of Massachusetts, and he won almost 15 percent of the vote. Phillips was born on Nov. 9, 1811, in Boston. He graduated from Harvard University. He died on Feb. 3, 1884.
