Chapter 28: Nell - Abolitionist Divisions and Underground Railroad Action
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Chapter 28 follows Nell during the second day of Pennsylvania Hall’s grand opening in Philadelphia, May 1838. She is frustrated that the first day’s speakers were all white and leaned toward gradual abolition, a stance she finds dangerously out of touch with enslaved people’s immediate needs. Outside, protesters have already thrown a brick through a window, leaving dents and scratches. Inside, Nell finds hope in the abolitionist bookstore and the free‑produce store, but the all‑white speaker slate rankles.
William Lloyd Garrison takes the stage unexpectedly, denouncing gradualists and colonizationists and demanding immediate abolition. His speech electrifies the crowd, leading organizers to schedule a debate for the next morning that will include slavers. Nell is wary of debating Black humanity as a “radical idea.” She then attends the first session of the Antislavery Convention of American Women, determined to push her committee to directly aid fugitive slaves. President Sarah Pugh stalls her, then stages a vote using loaded language, and the proposal is overwhelmingly defeated—though a scattering of ayes shows Nell has allies, mostly Black women and a few white rebels.
After the meeting, Hetty introduces Mary Smythe, a white woman from New York willing to smuggle Evie to safety in her carriage at week’s end. Nell leaves feeling hopeful, despite the angry onlookers outside. But at a lamppost she finds a placard calling for citizens to assemble the next morning and forcibly disperse the convention. The city holds its breath.
Key Events
- Nell observes that the first day of Pennsylvania Hall’s opening had no Black speakers and heard gradualist calls to “warm up” to abolition.
- Protesters throw rocks, breaking a window; the façade shows damage.
- William Lloyd Garrison gives an impromptu speech rebuking the all‑white slate and gradualists, prompting a debate to be scheduled for the following morning.
- Nell attends the women’s convention and tries to bring up her fugitive‑aid committee but is blocked by President Sarah Pugh.
- The women’s convention votes on allowing men to hear Angelina Grimke Weld’s future speech; they approve but strip the society’s formal hosting role.
- Pugh puts Nell’s motion to a vote using biased wording; it is defeated, though some allies reveal themselves.
- Hetty introduces Mary Smythe, who agrees to transport Evie to New York in her carriage by the end of the week.
- Nell spots a threatening placard posted on Sixth Street calling for forcible dispersion of the convention.
Character Development
Nell: Grows more assertive, directly challenging the convention’s leadership and speaking without being called upon. She absorbs Charlotte’s directness and channels her frustration into action. Her disappointment with white abolitionists’ timidity hardens her resolve to pursue underground railroad work outside official channels. Her worry over Alex shows lingering personal conflict.
Hetty: Acts as a practical ally, arranging a discreet escape route for Evie through Mary Smythe. She works behind the scenes where institutional change has failed.
Sarah Pugh: Embodies the cautious, procedural wing of the women’s antislavery movement. She uses parliamentary tactics to suppress radical proposals, prioritizing reputation over immediate aid.
William Lloyd Garrison: Appears as a forceful moral voice who calls out hypocrisy within the abolitionist movement itself, serving as a catalyst for more confrontational debate.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Gradualism vs. Immediatism: The central ideological conflict. White gradualist speakers are contrasted with Garrison’s demand for immediate emancipation, and Nell’s own fugitive‑aid project represents concrete immediatism.
The Gilded Cage of Procedure: The women’s convention spends hours debating whether men may attend a speech while urgent action is repeatedly deferred. Sarah Pugh’s use of loaded language (“violating state and federal laws”) reveals how institutional rules can stifle radical work.
Sight and Visibility: Nell notes the “complexion” of the speaker slate—whiteness made visible. The placard’s “stark black lettering” commands attention. The building’s broken window and the protesters’ gaze create a sense of being watched and threatened.
Private Networks vs. Public Platforms: When the women’s society refuses public support, Hetty and Mary build a private network to smuggle Evie. The contrast highlights the necessity of underground work when above‑ground institutions fail.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 28 crystallizes the novel’s central tension: the gap between the rhetoric of abolition and the reality of fugitive danger. Nell’s failed motion forces her to rely on clandestine networks, mirroring the historical shift from moral suasion to direct action. The placard foreshadows the violent mob attack that will destroy Pennsylvania Hall (a real‑life 1838 event). The chapter also explores racial dynamics within reform movements, as Black women like Nell must push white allies toward genuine risk‑taking. For the overall plot, it solidifies Nell’s role as a covert operative and sets Evie’s escape in motion.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Nell object to the inclusion of slavers in the upcoming debate? Nell believes that debating slavery with slavers treats Black humanity as a debatable idea. She sees the invitation as a white privilege that gives moral equivalence to people who profit from enslavement, rather than centering the urgent needs of the enslaved.
2. What strategies does Sarah Pugh use to defeat Nell’s motion, and what does this reveal about the women’s society? Pugh first stalls by enforcing procedural order, then frames the motion as an open discussion about “violating state and federal laws,” ensuring it becomes a vote on lawbreaking rather than aiding fugitives. This reveals that the society prioritizes legal respectability over direct action and fears public controversy.
3. How does Nell’s encounter with the placard change the chapter’s tone? The placard shifts the mood from cautious hope to imminent danger. Nell had been energized by Garrison’s speech and Mary’s offer, but the call for “forcible” assembly reminds her—and the reader—that the abolitionist movement faces violent, organized opposition. The final line (“the city held its breath”) creates suspense for the coming confrontation.