Traditional narratives of abolition have long been structured around prominent male figures. But this focus has obscured a broader and more complex reality. Abolition was not built solely in parliaments, presidential offices, or lecture halls dominated by men. It was also sustained through networks, associations, households, churches, and print media in which women played key roles.
The purpose of this video is to demonstrate that women were not auxiliary supporters standing behind great men; they were architects of abolitionist strategy and ideology. They organized petition campaigns numbering in the hundreds of thousands of signatures. They mobilized consumer boycotts that linked imperial economies to domestic life. They wrote narratives, edited newspapers, raised funds, sheltered fugitives, and publicly denounced slavery.