Begin by explaining to students that they will be exploring examples of opposition and violent resistance directed toward the Abolitionist Movement and those who used newspapers and public speaking as ways to promote the cause of racial justice. 

Remind students that this history is one that involves confronting bigotry, hatred, and racism, and that part of this learning experience requires tending to their own emotional needs, understanding the range of emotional needs in the classroom, and respecting the need for space to process discomforting information, which may require stepping out of the classroom.

Instruct students to work independently with a small archive, consisting of two letters written by Elijah Lovejoy, the White abolitionist and publisher of the Observer, as well as a speech written and delivered by Lovejoy; a handbill advancing a pro-slavery and anti-abolitionist message; and an artist’s rendering of the pro-slavery riot at which Elijah Lovejoy was murdered. It is important that students have time to independently encounter these sources and quietly process their emotions before sharing their thoughts with their peers.

Have students consider the following questions as they read:

• What risks did abolitionist activists encounter as they advanced the cause of emancipation in the 1830s?
• Why was publishing an abolitionist newspaper so risky? In other words, how were newspapers a “threat” to the system of chattel slavery?
• How did pro-slavery opponents to abolition present their cause and why did they choose to defend their position this way?
• Why did Elijah Lovejoy risk his life to publish a newspaper for the abolitionist cause? 

Once students have had time to independently encounter this violent history and process their thoughts quietly, have students turn to a partner to discuss their observations. Encourage students to specifically reflect on why Black and White writers and publishers would risk their own lives to publish an abolitionist newspaper.