Introduction: Slavery! A time the equality of men wasn't justified. A time where American economic background cause them to degrade themselves to human labor. Not a proud moment in history. Even though it was thought of a way of living and survives. People didn’t agree with slavery. We called these people abolitionist. Abolitionist gathered around the world, and created societies to battle slavery. One of the societies was
Scene 1
Samuel Yeager: This is blasphemy
James Forten: What is this blasphemy you speak of?
Samuel Yeager: Talk of women abolitionist. Women getting involve in things, which they do not know of. IT'S Blasphemy! This Lucretia Mott, giving women encouragement to speak out. IT'S Blasphemy!
Robert Purvis: Why not promote the influence of women. What is so wrong with them to talk of these things such as slavery?
James Forten: Yes!
Samuel Yeager: Garrison, you surely won't allow this to come creeping into our society.
William Lloyd Garrison: I have heard of women abolitionist speak of such thing, and promote them join our society.
Yeager: But!
Robert Purvis: Hold your tongue! Have you forgotten! William published the first issue of his own anti-slavery newspaper, the Liberator. In speaking engagements and through the Liberator and other publications, Garrison advocated the immediate emancipation of all slaves. He helped organize the New England Anti-Slavery Society, and, the following year, the American Anti-Slavery Society. These were the first organizations dedicated to promoting immediate emancipation.
Samuel Yeager: No I haven’t forgotten. Garrison’s influence is greatly known! Yes! But none of these societies still involved women in them. Women differ from us man. There much too emotionally, and foolish. To take part in such things.
Garrison: when I first establish this society. I built it for all who cause was just, and wanted to abolish slavery to be welcome. Abolitionists aren't created by shape or form, but the love and devotion toward a righteous cause.
Yeager: Blasphemy! I refuse too have my wife talk of such things. We already ourselves throw our security away, for our beliefs to be heard. (Trying to be reasonable) if I were too permitting my wife, too take party in such things, shall I have her abandoned the children, and who too leave the cooking and cleaning.
Garrison: (starting to get frustrated) I have worked closely with Lucretia Mott way before our society was build. Married too James Mott, gave birth to 2 children. She speaks of these things and never once would abandon womanly duties.
Forten: Yes, but she just one woman wait! Who to be responsible for the women’s safety
Robert: Of women are to join our society, they very well known the dangerous we face. As Yeager said we already ourselves throw our security away, for our beliefs to be heard.
Forten: (looks as if has not sure what to say)
Yeager: Sir, Garrison, if the promotion of women speaking lives in this society. I shall take leave, of it and so will other men in the society.
Forten: Surely we can come to a compromise.
Purvis: no let them go!
(The opposing party takes leave of the stage)
Forten: Garrison do you think your decision be a wise one
Garrison: With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plea; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.
Narrator: As you can see there much division among the American Anti- Slavery society! Though William the founder of the society himself, promoted the women out reach. People still felt as though women shouldn't be able to speak. They consider them too emotion and foolish and they believe there place was at home not the meetings. Yet discriminated against, Women still organized and end up establishing their own society! In 1833 Lucretia Mott, and other women established the PFASS: The Philadelphia Female Antislavery Society. The first society of its kind.
Scene 2
Later that day. Samuel Yeager and some of the other angered members of the American Anti- Slavery Society gather at the neighborhood tavern, to release some frustration. Friend 2 and Friend 3 are gambling at the table.
Friend 1: You need to loosen up! Yeager! (jokingly) You’re just mad you’ll never have a woman of your own!
Friend 2: Like you would know. (laughing) The only time you’ve been with a woman is when you’re sleeping.
Friend 1: I was wondering why I woke up in your wife's bed this morning (everyone laughs)
Friend 2: What!
(Friend 3 is peeking at Friend 2’s cards while Friend 2 picks up his drink while Friend 1 is distracted. Friend 2 turns around, and Friend 3 coughs. )
Friend 2: Are you okay?
(Friends begin to play cards and drink.)
Friend 3: I fold!
Yeager: (sips his drink and begins to read the paper. He takes another sip as he reads and sees something shocking and spits his drink out on Friend 2’s shirt and slams the paper on the table.) I can't believe this. First, it was just being talked about but now, the women have created their own society. They’re calling themselves the PFASS: The Philadelphia Female Anti- Slavery Society. It’s said to be the first society of female abolitionists and, get this, men are helping them build their society.
Friend 2: (irritated) Don't lose your head over it.
Yeager: (exasperated) What’s wrong with the world?
Friend 1: (cheerfully) Relax! Join us, gamble with your friends, have a drink.
Friend 3: Women will be women.
Friend 2: Telling a woman to keep her mouth shut. You'll have a better chance of training a lion to be a vegetarian (everyone laughs)
Friend 1: I don't get it! Why not influence the women to speak? Maybe they can nag slavery to death. It’ll be gone all the same (everyone laughs)
Yeager: (Jokingly but still in a serious mood) You guys may be laughing now, but just wait…first they’re speaking, then writing laws, and then they’re running society. They’re too sensitive and don’t have guts to produce necessary force when needed. They try to find an easier way out in times where there isn’t an easier way out.
Friend 3: I wouldn’t mind a woman running society. It would make the government a little easy on the eyes. Then I’d finally take a real interest in politics. (Everyone laughs)
Yeager: Fools! It’s foolish men like you who corrupt our women. (He laughs to himself)
Friend 2: No wonder William Garrison was so open to the idea of women abolitionists. (Everyone laughs)
Yeager: A fool he be indeed. Can you believe he’s actually encouraging this BLASPHEMY to co- exist with our abolitionist world.
Friend 3: I thought you admired Sir William (teasingly)
Yeager: All admirable men have a flaw, which eventually dispatches your admiration for them.
(Friends 1,2,3 begin to mimic and make fun of Robert Purvis, William Garrison, and James Forten.)
Friend 1: This is blasphemy
(Stands up in chair)
Friend 2: What is this blasphemy you speak of?
Friend 1: Talk of women abolitionists. Women getting involved in things, which they do not know of. IT’S Blasphemy! This Lucretia Mott, giving women encouragement to speak out. IT’S Blasphemy!
Friend 2: Why not promote the influence of women. What is so wrong with them to talk of these things such as slavery?
Friend 3: Yes!
Friend 1: Garrison, surely won’t allow this to come creeping into our society.
Friend 2: I have heard of women abolitionists speak of such things, and promote them to join our society.
Friend 3: But!
Friend 1: My favorite part was when Robert Purvis got up! Hold your tongue! (Everyone laughs)
Yeager: Cut it out. I remember it all just the same as you.
Friend 2: I bet you do. (Everyone laughs)
Yeager: What! I know what I’ll do to shut those women up. They won’t be talking when I’m done with them.
(Samuel Yeager leaves the Tavern)
Friend 1: Yeager was over reacting on women speaking against slavery. He knows he could use all the help he can get if he wants to abolish slavery.
Friend 3: You’re wrong. I understand what Samuel is trying to say. Women should not be able to speak out. Speaking against slavery is not their place. Women are to be seen and not heard.
Friend 2: Look at how you sound. Do you remember the purpose of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Liberty and Equality for all?
Friend 3: I remember, but I am still with Yeager.
(Friend 3 leaves the Tavern)
Narrator: A few days later Samuel Yeager and some other men gathered together and went out and burned down the PFASS’s meeting hall, The Pennsylvania Hall. Undeterred, the women soon after found a different place to meet.
Scene 3
Garrison: So how does it feel? How does it feel knowing that you and a few other men burned down the Pennsylvania Hall and the women are still meeting?
Purvis: You did absolutely nothing. You violated our purpose of this society. We are a society of peace; we fight for liberty and equality no matter the gender or complexion. Sir, Yeager you wanted our attention well now you have it.
Forten: I thought this society was supposed to be peaceful! It seems as though the people you recruited Garrison had no intention of being peaceful.
Yeager: Gentlemen, I did this Society a favor by burning down those foolish women’s meeting hall, this is the thanks I get for it.
Garrison: You didn’t do us any favor you just made our job harder. The women are still meeting like Robert said. We wanted the women to try to be apart of our Society not to be persecuted by us, but by now they probably don’t trust anymore.
Yeager: You ungrateful little…. I’m no longer apart of this Society. I won’t take any part of this blasphemy.
Purvis: Go leave now before anyone sees us with you. You have shamed this society and you are an embarrassment to the name.
Yeager: (Yells as walks away) This is Blasphemy.
Garrison: The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes the rebellion, and right now Samuel Yeager is the thing that cause the rebellion.
Purvis: Do you see now Sir, Forten you cannot trust a man to control if he cannot control himself!
(Yeager walks back into the meeting angry)
Yeager: Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character. These women have to obey us men. Women to us are inferior.
Garrison: Every human being of, whatever origin, of whatever station deserves respect. We must respect the women just as much as we respect ourselves.
Forten: I agree with Sir, Garrison, everyone deserves respect. When I joined this society I vowed to fight for liberty and equality for all no matter gender or complexion, so Garrison is right.
Yeager: This is blasphemy, you keep speaking of women being abolitionist, you’re corrupting the minds of so many men. Nations, like individuals will be punished for your actions William Garrison.
Purvis: It’s over Sir, Yeager no one is going to listen to you.
Yeager: None of you would stop what I am doing. I will not equivocate, I will not retreat a single inch, and I will be heard.
