THERE IS DEATH IN THE POT - The University of Texas at Arlington

associations allowed abstainers and abolitionists to number their friends and find strength
in the abolitionist community. 1
Historians of women abolitionists have conclusively demonstrated the importance
of associations to women’s activism. Women’s anti-slavery and free-produce societies
provided structure, motivation, and resources for reform work. Through these “sister
societies” women developed and maintained local, national, and international friendships.
American women established societies and organized national anti-slavery conventions
for women, gathered signatures on petitions, and raised funds. 2 These formal groups
were nurtured by important informal networks, which developed in relationship with
these associations. These formal and informal networks served as vital communities for
British and American abolitionist women.
John C. Walsh and Steven High identified three fundamental elements for
understanding the historical significance of community. First, community is culturally
constructed around “imagined communities” of shared values, truths, and symbols and is
not dependent upon a shared physical place such as a town or neighborhood to establish
inclusion or exclusion. Second, community is based on “social interaction” and networks
of power, which provide “moral regulation” among members. Finally, communities are
inherently fluid, changing over time. 3 These three elements help explain the development
1830.
1 [Elizabeth Margaret Chandler], “Associations,” Genius of Universal Emancipation, January 22,
2
For example, see Salerno, Sister Societies; Yellin and Van Horne, eds., The Abolitionist
Sisterhood.
3
John C. Walsh and Steven High, “Rethinking the Concept of Community,” Social History 32
(1999), 255-273.
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