Henry Highland Garnet
Encyclopedia
Henry Highland Garnet (December 23, 1815 – February 13, 1882) was an African American
abolitionist and orator. An advocate of militant abolitionism, Garnet was a prominent member of the abolition movement that led against moral suasion
toward more political action. Renowned for his skills as a public speaker, he urged blacks to take action and claim their own destinies. Garnet was the first black minister to preach to the United States House of Representatives
.
near New Market, Maryland
, to George and Henrietta. His grandfather was a Mandinka
warrior prince, captured in combat, which might have been the source of Garnet's fiery spirit. Receiving permission to attend a funeral, he and his family instead escaped to free-state Pennsylvania
in 1824. He spent two years at sea, as a cabin boy, cook, and steward, traveling to Cuba. When he returned, he discovered that his family had split up due to threats of slave catchers. When Garnet was ten years old, the family reunited and moved to New York City
, where from 1826 through 1833, Garnet attended the African Free School
, and the Phoenix High School for Colored Youth. While in school, Garnet began his career in abolitionism. With fellow schoolmates, he established the Garrison Literary and Benevolent Association. It garnered mass support among whites, but the club ultimately had to move due to racist feelings. Two years later, in 1835, he started to attend the Noyes Academy
in Canaan
, New Hampshire
, where he met his wife, Julia Williams. Together, they had three children, only one of whom survived to adulthood. Due to his abolitionist activities, Henry Garnet was ultimately driven away from the Noyes Academy by an angry segregationist mob. He went on to further his education at the Oneida Theological Institute in Whitesboro
, which had newly opened its doors to all races. Here, he was acclaimed for his wit, brilliance, and rhetorical skills. After graduation in 1839, the following year, he injured his knee playing sports. It never recovered and his leg was amputated in 1840.
In 1839, Garnet moved to Troy, New York
where he taught school and studied theology. In 1842, Garnet became pastor of the Liberty Street Presbyterian church, a position he would hold for six years. During this time, he published papers that combined both religious and abolitionist themes. Closely identifying himself with the church, Garnet supported the temperance movement
and became a strong advocate of political antislavery. He later joined the American Anti-Slavery Society
and frequently spoke at abolitionist conferences. One of his most famous speeches, "Call to Rebellion," was delivered August 1843 to the National Negro Convention in Buffalo, New York
. The speech echoed his views that slaves should act for themselves to achieve total emancipation. Garnet promoted active rebellion, arguing that armed unrest would be the most effective way to end slavery. Frederick Douglass
and William Lloyd Garrison
, along with many other abolitionists, thought Garnet's ideas were too radical. He supported the Liberty Party, a party of reform that was eventually absorbed into the Republican Party
, whose views Garnet disagreed with.
, Liberia
, or the West Indies, where they would have more opportunities. In support of this, he founded the African Civilization Society. Mirroring the British African Aid society, it sought to establish a West African colony in Yoruba
. He also advocated establishing separate sections of the United States as black colonies. In 1850, he went to Great Britain
on request of the Free Labor Movement, an organization that opposed the use of products produced by slave labor. He was popular, and spent two and a half years lecturing. In 1852 Garnet was sent to Kingston, Jamaica
, as a missionary. He spent three years there, until his health forced him back to the United States.
When the American Civil War
erupted, his hopes for emigration dissolved. Instead, he turned his attention to the founding of black army units. In the New York draft riots of 1863, mobs were targeting blacks and black-owned buildings. Garnet was saved from death when his daughter quickly chopped their nameplate off their door before the mobs found them. When the authorization for black units came, Garnet helped with recruiting United States Colored Troops
and then supported the black soldiers, preaching to many of them. Garnet served as the pastor of the Liberty (Fifteenth) Street Presbyterian Church from 1864 until 1866, and during this time he became the first black minister to preach to the House of Representatives, on 12 February 1865. He spoke about the end of slavery.
in 1868. Later he returned to New York City
as a pastor at the Shiloh Presbyterian Church. In 1879, Garnet married Sarah Smith Tompkins
, who was a New York teacher and school principal, suffragist, and community organizer.
Garnet’s last wish was to go to Liberia, live even just for a few weeks, and die there. His wish was granted and he became U.S. Minister to Liberia in late 1881, but died two months later. Garnet was given a state funeral by the Liberian government and was buried at Palm Grove Cemetery in Monrovia
. Frederick Douglass, who had not been on speaking terms with Garnet for many years, still mourned Garnet's passing. In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante
listed Henry Highland Garnet on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans
. Garnet also has a public elementary school named after him in Harlem, known as P.S. 175 or the Henry Highland Garnet School for Success, as well as the HHG Elementary School in Chestertown, MD.
His painting can be found in the painting ‘Civil Rights Bill Passes, 1866’ – a mural in the Hall of Capitols, the Cox Corridors of the Capitol building in Washington DC. It was painted by Allyn Cox in 1952
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
abolitionist and orator. An advocate of militant abolitionism, Garnet was a prominent member of the abolition movement that led against moral suasion
Moral suasion
Moral suasion , is defined in the economic sphere as “the attempt to coerce private economic activity via governmental exhortation in directions not already defined or dictated by existing...
toward more political action. Renowned for his skills as a public speaker, he urged blacks to take action and claim their own destinies. Garnet was the first black minister to preach to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Early history and education
Garnet was born a slaveSlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
near New Market, Maryland
New Market, Maryland
New Market is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. The population was 427 at the 2000 census. The town bills itself as the "Antiques capital of Maryland".-Geography:New Market is located at ....
, to George and Henrietta. His grandfather was a Mandinka
Mandinka people
The Mandinka, Malinke are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa with an estimated population of eleven million ....
warrior prince, captured in combat, which might have been the source of Garnet's fiery spirit. Receiving permission to attend a funeral, he and his family instead escaped to free-state Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in 1824. He spent two years at sea, as a cabin boy, cook, and steward, traveling to Cuba. When he returned, he discovered that his family had split up due to threats of slave catchers. When Garnet was ten years old, the family reunited and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where from 1826 through 1833, Garnet attended the African Free School
African Free School
The African Free School was an institution founded by the New York Manumission Society on November 2, 1787. It was founded to provide education to children of slaves and freemen.-History:...
, and the Phoenix High School for Colored Youth. While in school, Garnet began his career in abolitionism. With fellow schoolmates, he established the Garrison Literary and Benevolent Association. It garnered mass support among whites, but the club ultimately had to move due to racist feelings. Two years later, in 1835, he started to attend the Noyes Academy
Noyes Academy
Noyes Academy was an experimental interracial school founded in 1835 in Canaan, New Hampshire, USA. The school was demolished in less than a year by opponents of interracial education....
in Canaan
Canaan, New Hampshire
Canaan is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,909 at the 2010 census. It is the location of Mascoma State Forest...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, where he met his wife, Julia Williams. Together, they had three children, only one of whom survived to adulthood. Due to his abolitionist activities, Henry Garnet was ultimately driven away from the Noyes Academy by an angry segregationist mob. He went on to further his education at the Oneida Theological Institute in Whitesboro
Whitesboro, New York
Whitesboro is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. United States. The population was 3,943 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Hugh White, an early settler.The Village of Whitesboro is inside the Town of Whitestown....
, which had newly opened its doors to all races. Here, he was acclaimed for his wit, brilliance, and rhetorical skills. After graduation in 1839, the following year, he injured his knee playing sports. It never recovered and his leg was amputated in 1840.
Ministry
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
where he taught school and studied theology. In 1842, Garnet became pastor of the Liberty Street Presbyterian church, a position he would hold for six years. During this time, he published papers that combined both religious and abolitionist themes. Closely identifying himself with the church, Garnet supported the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
and became a strong advocate of political antislavery. He later joined the American Anti-Slavery Society
American Anti-Slavery Society
The American Anti-Slavery Society was an abolitionist society founded by William Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan. Frederick Douglass was a key leader of this society and often spoke at its meetings. William Wells Brown was another freed slave who often spoke at meetings. By 1838, the society had...
and frequently spoke at abolitionist conferences. One of his most famous speeches, "Call to Rebellion," was delivered August 1843 to the National Negro Convention in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. The speech echoed his views that slaves should act for themselves to achieve total emancipation. Garnet promoted active rebellion, arguing that armed unrest would be the most effective way to end slavery. Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman. After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing...
and William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He is best known as the editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and as one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society, he promoted "immediate emancipation" of slaves in the United...
, along with many other abolitionists, thought Garnet's ideas were too radical. He supported the Liberty Party, a party of reform that was eventually absorbed into the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, whose views Garnet disagreed with.
Anti-slavery role
By 1849 Garnet began to support emigration of blacks to MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, or the West Indies, where they would have more opportunities. In support of this, he founded the African Civilization Society. Mirroring the British African Aid society, it sought to establish a West African colony in Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
. He also advocated establishing separate sections of the United States as black colonies. In 1850, he went to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
on request of the Free Labor Movement, an organization that opposed the use of products produced by slave labor. He was popular, and spent two and a half years lecturing. In 1852 Garnet was sent to Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, as a missionary. He spent three years there, until his health forced him back to the United States.
When the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
erupted, his hopes for emigration dissolved. Instead, he turned his attention to the founding of black army units. In the New York draft riots of 1863, mobs were targeting blacks and black-owned buildings. Garnet was saved from death when his daughter quickly chopped their nameplate off their door before the mobs found them. When the authorization for black units came, Garnet helped with recruiting United States Colored Troops
United States Colored Troops
The United States Colored Troops were regiments of the United States Army during the American Civil War that were composed of African American soldiers. First recruited in 1863, by the end of the Civil War, the men of the 175 regiments of the USCT constituted approximately one-tenth of the Union...
and then supported the black soldiers, preaching to many of them. Garnet served as the pastor of the Liberty (Fifteenth) Street Presbyterian Church from 1864 until 1866, and during this time he became the first black minister to preach to the House of Representatives, on 12 February 1865. He spoke about the end of slavery.
Later life, death, and legacy
After the war, Garnet was appointed president of Avery College in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
in 1868. Later he returned to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as a pastor at the Shiloh Presbyterian Church. In 1879, Garnet married Sarah Smith Tompkins
Sarah J. Garnet
Sarah J. Tompkins Garnet was an African-American educator and suffragist from New York City who was a pioneer as the first African-American female school principal in the New York City public school system....
, who was a New York teacher and school principal, suffragist, and community organizer.
Garnet’s last wish was to go to Liberia, live even just for a few weeks, and die there. His wish was granted and he became U.S. Minister to Liberia in late 1881, but died two months later. Garnet was given a state funeral by the Liberian government and was buried at Palm Grove Cemetery in Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
. Frederick Douglass, who had not been on speaking terms with Garnet for many years, still mourned Garnet's passing. In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante
Molefi Kete Asante
Molefi Kete Asante is an African-American scholar, historian, and philosopher. He is a leading figure in the fields of African American studies, African Studies and Communication Studies...
listed Henry Highland Garnet on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans
100 Greatest African Americans
100 Greatest African Americans is a biographical dictionary of the one hundred historically greatest African Americans , as assessed by Molefi Kete Asante in 2002.-Criteria:...
. Garnet also has a public elementary school named after him in Harlem, known as P.S. 175 or the Henry Highland Garnet School for Success, as well as the HHG Elementary School in Chestertown, MD.
His painting can be found in the painting ‘Civil Rights Bill Passes, 1866’ – a mural in the Hall of Capitols, the Cox Corridors of the Capitol building in Washington DC. It was painted by Allyn Cox in 1952