Restless Visionaries : The Social Roots of title: Antebellum Reform in Alabama and Michigan author: Quist, John W. publisher: Louisiana State University Press isbn10 | asin: 0807121339 print isbn13: 9780807121337 ebook isbn13: 9780585337661 language: English Social reformers--Alabama--Tuscaloosa County--History--19th century, Social subject reformers--Michigan--Washtenaw County-- History--19th century. publication date: 1998 lcc: HN79.A42T876 1998eb ddc: 303.48/4/0976184 Social reformers--Alabama--Tuscaloosa County--History--19th century, Social subject: reformers--Michigan--Washtenaw County-- History--19th century. Page i Restless Visionaries Page ii Published with the assistance of the V. Ray Cardozier Fund, an endowment created to support publication of scholarly books Page iii Restless Visionaries The Social Roots of Antebellum Reform in Alabama and Michigan John W. Quist Page iv Copyright © 1998 by Louisiana State University Press All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America First printing 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 99 98 5 4 3 2 1 Designer: Michele Myatt Quinn Typeface: Adobe Caslon Typesetter: Wilsted &Taylor Publishing Services Printer and binder: Edwards Brothers, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Quist, John W., 1960 Restless visionaries: the social roots of antebellum reform in Alabama and Michigan /John W. Quist. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8071-2133-9 (alk. paper) 1. Social reformersAlabamaTuscaloosa CountyHistory19th century. 2. Social reformersMichiganWashtenaw County History19th century. I. Title. HN79.A42T876 1997 303.48'4'0976184dc21 97-43640 CIP The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. Page v for Anne Page vii Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1 19 Slaveholding Operatives of the Benevolent Empire 2 103 Occasionally Overwhelmed by Abolitionists: Benevolence in Washtenaw County 3 155 Toward the Sober Slaveholder: Temperance in Tuscaloosa County 4 235 Prohibition Attempted and Refuted: The Temperance Movement in Washtenaw County 5 303 Colonization, Plantation Missions, and the Limits of Southern Reform 6 354 The Personification of Principle: The Crusade Against Slavery in Washtenaw County Conclusion 462 Appendix: Tables 134 471 Bibliography 517 Index 547 Page ix Acknowledgments It is with pleasure that I acknowledge the numerous debts I have accumulated as this project has grown. I have been greatly assisted by many residents of Washtenaw and Tuscaloosa Counties who kindly opened to me the records of their municipalities and churches, supplied friendly conversation, and sometimes provided refreshments as well. I am also beholden to the staffs of several libraries and archival institutions who, in doing their jobs well, made my work as a researcher easier and more enjoyable. These include the Michigan Historical Collections at the University of Michigan's Bentley Library (especially Nancy Bartlett and Karen Mason); the University of Alabama Special Collections (especially Gunetta Rich, Clark Center, and Joe Moudry); the Alabama Department of Archives and History (especially Edwin C. Bridges, Mimi Jones, Mike Breedlove, Rickie Brunner, and Debbie Pendleton); the Samford University Special Collections, Birmingham, Alabama (especially Elizabeth Wells); the William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan (especially Rob Cox); the Library of Michigan (especially Randy Riley); the Auburn University archives; the Burton Historical Collections, Detroit Public Library; the University of Michigan interlibrary loan office; the State Archives of Michigan; the archives of the American Bible Society, New York City; the Lafayette College Library, Easton, Pennsylvania; the National Archives; and the Library of Congress. I must thank Jon Atkins, Andy Hoag, Daniel Walker Howe, Guy Hubbs, Bil Kerrigan, Marc Kruman, Gerry Leonard, Charles Loucks, John R. McKivigan, Richard Nation, Dale Prentis, Anne Huish Quist, Johanna Shields, Cara Shelly, Mitchell Snay, James Brewer Stewart, Kevin Thornton, Michael Watson, and Mayer Zald for reading