William Lloyd Garrison
Source: Library of Congress
Biography
William Lloyd Garrison (1805-1879) was one of the most influential American abolitionists and social reformers of the nineteenth century. Founded The Liberator newspaper in 1831, which became the leading voice of the abolitionist movement, Garrison advocated for immediate emancipation and used his powerful oratory and writing to challenge slavery and racial injustice. Though controversial for his radical positions and uncompromising stance, he remained a central figure in the antislavery movement until the Civil War's conclusion.