Maine History Online

In the preamble to its constitution, the Portland Anti-Slavery Society invoked the same language of fraternity, equality, and inalienable rights as the Declaration of Independence and as other anti-slavery societies in the United States. In both its 1844 and its 1850 forms, the Portland Anti-Slavery Society kept as its primary goals 1) the dissemination of accurate, persuasive information regarding slavery in the ultimate goal of immediate abolition, and 2) the elimination of racism toward and the elevation of the status of free people of color.

Under the leadership of Oliver Dennett in 1844 and Peter Morrill in 1850, the Portland Anti-Slavery Society saw its mission inextricably tied to the Christian cause of human redemption and freedom. This is seen in language found through the Society's minutes and also in the organization's early decision to attend to their business on Sunday, considered by members to be the most appropriate day for work of this kind. Eventually, meetings began taking place on various weekdays.

Members do not appear to have been disheartened by their small numbers relative to the slave regime of the South or to the anti-slavery societies of larger cities. Members reached out to the influential figures of their day, including Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Charles Remond, and Charles Sumner to bring their anti-slavery messages to the city. Portland Anti-Slavery Society members remained cognizant of regional and national developments, as they continued to build communication networks across the state of Maine.