Arnold Buffum (December 13, 1782March 13, 1859) was an American Quaker abolitionist who was a member of the

New England Anti-Slavery Society The New England Anti-Slavery Society (1831–1837) was formed by William Lloyd Garrison, editor of '' The Liberator,'' in 1831. ''The Liberator'' was its official publication. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, members of the New England Anti-slave ...

and the

American Anti-Slavery Society The American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS) was an Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist society in the United States. AASS formed in 1833 in response to the nullification crisis and the failures of existing anti-slavery organizations, ...

. Circa 1840, he was active in promoting the Liberty Party. His children and grandchildren were also involved in social reform work.

Biography

A native of Smithfield, Rhode Island, Buffum's family were Quakers. Buffum's father, William Buffum, was a member of the colonial-era Rhode Island Abolition Society. Arnold Buffum married Rebecca Gould, who was descended from Daniel Gould, a Quaker who had been given 30 lashes in Boston in 1659 for professing his faith. Arnold and Rebecca (Gould) Buffum had seven children, the most notable of whom were

Elizabeth Buffum Chace Elizabeth Buffum Chace (December 9, 1806 – December 12, 1899) was an American activist in the anti-slavery, women's rights, and prison reform movements of the mid-to-late 19th century. She was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of F ...

, Rebecca Buffum Spring, Sarah Gould Buffum Borden (who ran an Underground Railroad station with her husband Nathaniel Briggs Borden), and Edward Buffum, a writer for the ''

New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the '' New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''. Hi ...

''. Buffum worked for the New England Anti-Slavery Society with Oliver Johnson,

Samuel Joseph May Samuel Joseph May (September 12, 1797 – July 1, 1871) was an American reformer during the nineteenth century who championed education, women's rights, and Abolitionism in the United States, abolition of slavery. May argued on behalf of all ...

, and

Samuel Edmund Sewall Samuel Edmund Sewall (1799–1888) was an American lawyer, abolitionist, and suffragist. He co-founded the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, lent his legal expertise to the Underground Railroad, and served a term in the Massachusetts Senate as ...

. During his Liberty Party years he became the editor of the "first abolition paper in Indiana, and between his lectures and editorials he seriously disturbed the peace of the Quaker church in Indiana." Buffum was dismissed from

meetings A meeting is when two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal or business setting, but meetings also occur in a variety of other environments. Meetings can be used as form of group decision-making. Definiti ...

in both New England and Indiana for his insistent and vociferous liberal activism. Later in life he promoted temperance and the Republican Party. Buffum struggled financially and had a number of careers (in addition to professional anti-slavery lecturer) such as hat manufacturer, and sheep farmer. Buffum died in 1859 at

Raritan Bay Union The Raritan Bay Union was a utopian community in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, active from 1853 until 1860. History Raritan Bay Union was started by Marcus Spring and his wife Rebecca Buffum Spring (1811–1911). Theodore Dwight Weld was in charge ...

(near Perth Amboy, New Jersey), the utopian community cofounder by his daughter Rebecca.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buffum, Arnold 1782 births 1859 deaths American abolitionists American Quakers People from Smithfield, Rhode Island