Abolition literature is one of the most powerful examples of how literature fuels social change. In the midst of heated national debates about the political, economic, and social expediencies of slavery, activists used memoirs, novels, newspapers, and magazines to disseminate powerful arguments for the abolition of slavery. We’ll begin by considering the historical contexts of the slavery debate, then read classic texts such as The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, David Walker’s Appeal, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, William Wells Brown’s Clotel, and Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, as well as articles from leading anti and pro slavery newspapers and magazines.