thumb|William Lloyd Garrison, 1833, Oil on wood by Nathaniel Jocelyn.

thumb|right|250px|Remember Your Weekly Pledge, collection box for Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. Set aside in the home, the box was designed to remind members to make their weekly contribution. Circa 1850

The New England Anti-Slavery Society (1831–1837) was formed by William Lloyd Garrison on January 6, 1832, at the African Meeting House in Boston.

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, members of the New England Anti-slavery Society supported immediate abolition and viewed slavery as immoral and non-Christian (sinful). It was particularly opposed to the American Colonization Society, which proposed sending African Americans to Africa. According to biographer, Lindsay Swift, the society was established under the idea of "immediate and unconditional emancipation." Garrison and the twelve other members—often referred to as the "twelve pioneers" rejected the "colonization" or "gradualist" ideas, which sought to slow down the transition of the enslaved people or those who were forced removal to Africa via the American Colonization Society. Swift emphasizes that the weather surrounding the foundation of the society was a dark and cold night, symbolizing the rejection from others the group expected from the Boston establishment. The "twelve pioneers," although mostly white men, represented radical issues from the era's conservative reformers. They demanded "immediatism" and declared that any delay in the efforts of ending slavery was a sin against God himself.

Instead the NEASS utilized "moral suasion" to argue that slavery was dehumanizing and a religious sin. To spread this message, Garrison and the other members used pamphlets, newspapers, lectures, and Garrison's own publication,The Liberator to persuade readers and spread the news of a new anti-slavery community. The societies ideas meant to change people's mind and hearts rather than seeking immediate political attention. The society focused on media, utilizing The Liberator to amplify their resolutions and provide a safe space for voices that were ignored by mainstream press. Their strategy was rooted in the belief that if the "sinful nature" of slavery was shown to everyone publicly, a conversion or a change of heart of the nation would follow, making political legislation a byproduct of moral growth and change. (Some sources list the date as January 1, 1832.) Garrison was the principal founder. The other founding members were: Benjamin Bierly of Amesbury, Massachusetts, Reverend Elijah Blanchard, Horace Wakefield,

The 1834 records highlight the "Agency System," a method of sending traveling lectures to local chapters across the New England States to recruit members. This system was the society's primary focus for expansion. During the debates of the early 1830s, the society committed to "peaceful and lawful means," choosing to switch to political pressure and power to get more attention. They sent mass petitions to Congress as threats. They specifically targeted the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia rather than supporting violent rebellions. Separate black anti-slavery societies had already existed in Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Connecticut, and New Jersey, however, a strong feeling against the organization of separate anti-slavery societies had been emerging.

Together they organized anti-slavery conventions and speaking programs throughout New England.

Sometime after Joshua Easton was sent as a delegate to the New England society in 1833, African Americans were granted full membership in the organization.

American Anti-Slavery Society

In 1833, Garrison and Arthur Tappan expanded this society and formed the American Anti-Slavery Society. The American Anti-Slavery Society, however, attempted to create state-based organizations under the umbrella of its executive committee. At first the New England Anti-Slavery Society and the American Society worked together, with the New England Society becoming an auxiliary in 1834.

Integration with Black Activism

A defining moment in the society's growth was moving from a white-led group to a more diverse society. While many contemporary organizations remained segregated, the NEASS worked to seek out partnership with established Black leadership to support their causes. In 1833, the society merged with the Massachusetts General Colored Association, a move facilitated by activists like Thomas Dalton. This was a huge step for the 1830s; it ensured that the NEASS was not just white reformers, but a coalition that granted roles and inclusion of African Americans. The collaboration provided the NEASS with essential leverage and credibility which linked their moral arguments to the lived experience of the free Black communities in the North who were fighting for their own civil right and freedom of their Southern families.

Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society

In 1838, however, the New England Society gave up its regional jurisdiction and reorganized into the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society.

Annual meetings were held in Boston at Julien Hall, Melodeon, and Tremont Temple. Officers included James N. Buffum, Francis Jackson, Wendell Phillips, Parker Pillsbury, and Edmund Quincy. Lecturers affiliated with the society included William Wells Brown, Frederick Douglass, Samuel Joseph May, and Charles Lenox Remond. Joel W. Lewis was the chairman in 1840.

The New England Anti-Slavery Society held conventions in:

  • Boston, Massachusetts, May 24, 25, 26, 1836
  • Boston, Massachusetts, May 30, 31 and June 1 and 2, 1837

The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society held conventions in:

  • Worcester, Massachusetts, October 1840
  • Nantucket, Massachusetts, 1841

Following the Civil War the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society took up the cause of racial equality.

Evolution and The Free Produce Movement

By the late 1830s, the group's influence expanded larger than the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. As the organization matured, it became influential to other rising associations during the American abolitionist movement, providing help that would eventually dominate Northern political ideology. However, by the late 1850s, the tone of the organization shifted from religious and moral arguments to radical political dissent. Figures like Wendell Phillips began to frame slavery as more than just a mortal stain; they argued it was a "dangerous" threat to the "liberties of the country as a whole."