Town Hall: Meet Elizabeth Buffum Chace

Hello all, my name is Elizabeth Buffum Chace. While I may not be within the pages of your textbooks, my contributions to our nations growth is no small feat. I was born to a quaker family on December 9th, 1806 in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Many of my abolitionist beliefs come from the first president of the New England Anti-Slavery Society, or as I knew him as my father, Arnold Buffum. From being a pillar to organizations such as the Fall River Female Anti-Slavery Society and the Rhode Island Women's Suffrage Association, to writing my book, AntiSlavery Reminiscences.

My whole life has been built with the ideals of anti-slavery. However it was not till my wedding to my dear Samuel Chace, was this structure radicalized my life. Making the switch from being an anti-slavery to a devoted abolitionist was swift and strong. Much like slave women, I have lost five of my ten children, not even the oldest of the five had met their older siblings. These losses gave my heart and mind the sympathy for these mothers in shackles, for we had all lost children, only they were not given time to grieve. While my personal connection to these women was fully backed by my husband, the people of Rhode Island had other ideals. 

For the community in which I was raised shunned my husband and I for our shared views on slavery as a whole. While many would have agreed that slavery is not just or moral, our differences lived within what to do after slavery was made unconstitutional. Majority of the Quaker community believed enslaved people should be sent to African colonies, whereas my personal beliefs fought these ideals. Although most of the opposition I faced came from outside sources, my own brother in-law once looked at me and said "I shouldn't want to see a black man sitting on the sofa beside my daughter". I all but toppled out of my chair at his unhinged comment.

My fight was not just against slavery, but against the racism that spread throughout this nation. Which is why with the help of my sisters, we founded the Fall River Female Anti-Slavery Society in 1835.  This could be seen as my first steps within my start of abolition, however that respect is dedicated to one of my esteemed colleague within this fight, William Lloyd Garrison.  Within the next four years, my family moved to the Blackstone River Valley, and took over the Valley Falls Mill.  Where I would start my acts as a conductor of the Underground Railroad.  My mission was to make my home a safe place in which every human being who walked through my door felt welcomed.  Notable members I have had the honor of meeting include Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone, Abbey Kelley, Wendell Phillips, and Fredrick Douglas.  

After the Civil War, I joined the Rhode Island Women's Suffrage Association in 1868. During my time as president within the association, I made it so our African American counterparts were able to join and work along side us.  Our nation had strong years where my new friends were allowed to live in symbiosis, the Jim Crow Laws destroyed this.  All this meant was the fight was not over just yet.  If my friends could not sit with me, I will go sit with them.  Regardless if it meant breaking social cues, I would go join my friends at their rail cars, restaurants,  and any other place in which they were treated differently.  Once slavery was abolished, I turned my focus to the fight my focus to the fight against racial discrimination in schools, women's rights, prison reform, and the overall education for the minorities that live within our boarders. 

After my death, the Elizabeth Buffum Chace House was opened within Warwick, Rhode Island.  This house was created to shelter and aid the victims of domestic violence.  This includes helping to mask the identity of the women and children who are hiding from their domestic partners.  

Supreme Court Blog

The American Supreme Court was made to protect the citizens who live under the constitution, but how well can they protect us?  The historical cases this high court has seen over the years brings some of Americas biggest controversies into law.   Their interpretations of the constitution dictate our ways of life, and sets federal principles that alter the ways of our nation.  So what happens when their lawful decisions are in direct contrast of their constituents ideals?

Over the past 211 years, the court has seen 112 justices and 17 chief justices due to their lifetime appointments.  These justices hold the power to protect our constitution and to oversee that our governing bodies are staying within their bounds.  However this was not always true, the case of Marbury v. Maddison (1803) set precedent for the Court to strike down, or reverse any actions of lower courts deemed to violate our rights. 

 This major shift within how the Court operated was due to Chief Justice John Marshall. Without his guidance, the Supreme Court would not have the power and notoriety that it has today.  Famously after the unanimous vote, Marshall was quoted how "it is empathetically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is."  

Prior to this case, and the many that followed, the Courts power w
as unknown and uncared for.  Although this case gave the Courts a new sense of power, the unease America was facing caused the faith and respect the American people had within the Court into question.  While America was on the doorstep of the Civil Rights era, one case would light a fire.  Dred Scott v. Sandford(1857) which indirectly told American citizens the Court could not and would not recognize the enslaved people as citizens.  This meant that even within the 'free territories' of our nation, slaves could and would not be protected under the Constitution.  

Historically, every major divide within our nations political ideals can be traced back to Supreme Court cases, including U.S. v. Nixon (1974), Bethel School District v. Fraser (1987), Roe v. Wade (1973).  Whether or not we as a nation pay close attention to the Courts on a daily basis, their decisions change the way we as a people live.  

The video did not change my views on the Courts importance, nor negate the respect I have for the justices whose votes can change the trajectory of America.  That in its self is an important viewpoint which should be taken up more by fellow citizens, while we may not see our justices make public appearances, they are still people.  Not only are they people, but they are also trying to decipher our nations most important piece of literature and the meaning our founding fathers were trying to convey.  While the turnover of their cases, it is understandable due to the severity in which these cases have on peoples lives.  

The Discussion of Slavery

  The Argument against Slavery

  While many enslaved individuals turned to religion for solace, Christian scripture has been used both to justify and condemn slavery. In the 18th and 19th centuries, proponents of slavery often cited Biblical passages, such as those referring to servants or slaves in the Old and New Testaments, to argue that slavery was divinely sanctioned.      

Kevin Giles assertion points to a nuanced truth: the Bible does not unambiguously endorse slavery as it was practiced in America or other modern contexts. Biblical references to slavery often pertain to systems vastly different from the chattel slavery of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as indentured servitude or prisoners of war. The Exodus narrative portrays God as a liberator, not an enslaver.  Christianity became a source of hope and strength for many enslaved Africans in America. They identified with the Israelites, freed from slavery in Egypt, and saw themselves as part of a divine story of liberation. Spirituals, prayers, and Biblical references gave them the emotional and psychological endurance to survive in oppressive conditions. Some of the enslaved recognized the contradictions between the Christian gospel of love, equality, and freedom, and the brutal system of slavery. They used these contradictions to undermine the legitimacy of their bondage.

    In the New Testament, they focused on verses such as Galatians 3:28 or Exodus 20:2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.", emphasizing the importance of being free in a place of slavery. While Christianity was used to pacify slaves, with some slave owners teaching their slaves a warped version of the gospel that focused on obedience and submission, many slaves subverted these teachings. They embraced the more liberating aspects of the Bible, seeing their eventual freedom as a divine promise. In this sense, religion was both a tool of control by the oppressors and a source of revolutionary inspiration for the oppressed.  The long-standing argument over whether slavery was justified by religion continues to shape discussions today. While some historical figures twisted Biblical scripture to support the institution of slavery, the deeper message of the Bible, especially through the Exodus story and the teachings of Jesus, leans towards liberation and equality. This tension is a critical part of understanding the complex role religion has played in both justifying and resisting slavery.