Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was one of the most important figures of the 19th century, known for his role in the abolitionist movement and for becoming an internationally renowned spokesperson for freedom and equality. Born into slavery, Douglass escaped to the North, where he became a powerful voice for the enslaved and a fierce advocate for the…
Read MoreDavid Livingstone
A young Scotsman had come to hear an address by a celebrated missionary. Following his conversion several years earlier, the young man had begun to grapple with the question, “What shall I do with my life?” The Great Commission had come to have a singular hold upon his mind. Its majestic syllables had for him…
Read MoreSojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was born into slavery about 1797 in Ulster County, New York. Known as Isabella, her parents were James and Betsey, the property of Colonel Johannes Hardenbergh. As a child she spoke only low Dutch and, like most slaves, never learned to read or write. About 1815 Isabella married Thomas, a fellow slave, and…
Read MoreThomas More
Today we know Sir Thomas More primarily as the author of Utopia, and as one of the more famous martyrs of Henry VIII’s reign. The popular image is of a man – principled, steadfast, courageous – who placed his own conscience above his king’s demands. Yet if you were to ask More’s contemporaries to describe…
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