Radical Abolitionist Party

The Radical Abolitionist Party (also known as the Radical Political Abolition Party and American Abolition Society) was a political party formed by abolitionists in the United States in the decade preceding the American Civil War as part of a reaction to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The party was formed following their first convention in 1855 and lasted until the end of the decade. The Radical Abolition Party was distinct from other contemporary political groups of the time for their aims to immediately eliminate the institution of slavery (rather than containing it to where it already existed) and advocate for full citizenship rights for African Americans. They also advocated for other marginalized groups' rights, such as women and Native Americans. Many prominent black and white abolitionists were founders and members including Frederick Douglass, James McCune Smith, William Goodell, Gerrit Smith, and John Brown. It did not elect a candidate to office, rather made significant contributions to political discourse and helped shape the Republican Party's future platform on slavery.