The following is a guest post from Caleb Franz, author of The Conductor: The Story of Rev. John Rankin, Abolitionism’s Essential Founding Father, which was researched in part at the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife, Danielle.
What prompted you to write a book on Rev. John Rankin?
A variety of factors led me to write about Rev. John Rankin, including the surprisingly limited popular scholarship covering his life and legacy. He was such an essential figure in the abolitionist movement, and provided the intellectual foundation and moral leadership it needed to grow into a powerful social force. His vital role in the anti-slavery movement paired with the little attention he received for his contributions prompted me to compile his story in a biography.
There was also a personal angle that influenced me. I stumbled across Rev. Rankin at a fairly young age. He spent his final few years in Ironton, Ohio — the town I was raised in. The extent of my knowledge of his activities or influence at that time was, of course, incredibly limited. It wasn’t until I began exploring a possible story of the abolitionists in the Ohio River Valley that I fully realized the scope of Rankin’s impact. Following some conversations with my publisher, we both agreed that Rankin’s story deserves the kind of attention that a full biography can provide, and I committed to writing that story.
What led you to do research at the Library of Congress?
John Rankin’s role in the formation of the abolitionist movement was both incredibly local and incredibly national. For much of the context of his national impact, I was drawn to the Library of Congress, and relied on the manuscript division, as well as the newspaper collection, for much of my research. I had been to the Library before, but never for book research. The newspaper collection in particular was such a rich resource. Papers in the Library’s collection, like “The Liberator” (MA) and the “National Anti-Slavery Standard” (NY), provided this story with key details and first hand perspectives from the abolitionists that enriched the narrative.
Did you discover any interesting things, fun facts, or cool experiences?
One question I was curious about as I started writing “The Conductor” was whether or not Rev. Rankin had ever interacted or overlapped with Frederick Douglass. Given the way both influenced the abolitionist movement, as well as their mutual colleague in William Lloyd Garrison, it at least seemed likely that there would be some connection.
Throughout my research, I was able to find at least one small connection they shared, as they both attended and spoke at the same anti-slavery convention in Cincinnati in April 1854. Small as it was, finding at least one way these two titans of abolition overlapped and worked together, even indirectly, was a very cool discovery.
What advice do you have for other researchers using the Library’s collections?
Give yourself plenty of time! It amazed me how quickly time flew by once I really got into the thick of my research. It’s easy to get caught up in the material you’re looking through, so give yourself the space to look through it all without feeling rushed.
I should also emphasize how much of a help the librarians can be to point you in the right direction. Utilize them as a resource! They will help to ensure you are heading in the right direction.
Discover More
Issues of “The Liberator” (published by William Lloyd Garrison) from 1831 to 1865 are included in Chronicling America* and are freely searchable online.
More about Rankin, Garrison, Douglass and his newspapers, and abolition can be discovered by searching in Chronicling America.
*The Chronicling America historic newspapers online collection is a product of the National Digital Newspaper Program and jointly sponsored by the Library and the National Endowment for the Humanities.