"Martyrs on the Road to the Abolition of Slavery" ©
Cut down because they believed in freedom, the martyrs interviewed on this DVD talk to Abolition News Network from a dark and dank mausoleum.
Rising tensions in the South are revealed through interviews with rebellion leaders. Jemmy discusses the 1737 Stono Rebellion, which was the first major slave rebellion in the South, and Denmark Vesey describes the failed Vesey rebellion of 1822.
Frederick Douglass interviews author Solomon Northup, a New York State freeman who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery. Together they review Northup’s book, 12 Years a Slave, published in 1853. In it Northup recalls his horrific and dehumanizing experiences on Louisiana plantations.
Colonel Robert Shaw explains why he led the 54th Massachusetts Regiment of volunteer black soldiers in a suicidal frontal assault on the heavily fortified Fort Wagner, South Carolina, in 1863. He died alongside 1,514 of his fellow Union soldiers.
WARNING: Some scenes may be disturbing to the viewers as either the subject matter, personalities, or their spoken language may be offensive in the 21st century. Teachers be advised.