▁articles ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁claimed ▁that ▁people ▁from ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁were ▁cra zy ▁and ▁tre acher ous . ▁Given ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁fle e ▁to ▁Canada , ▁Thomas ▁Bay ne ▁( aka ▁Sam ▁N ixon ), ▁wished ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁New ▁Bed ford , ▁called ▁by ▁former ▁slaves ▁the ▁" F ug itive ' s ▁Gib ral tar ". ▁ ▁Well - known ▁abol ition ist ▁speak ers ▁were ▁paid ▁by ▁people ▁in ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁to ▁come ▁speak ▁to ▁the ▁town ' s ▁residents . ▁William ▁Lloyd ▁G arrison , ▁a ▁radical ▁abol ition ist , ▁spoke ▁at ▁a ▁ ▁Br istol ▁County ▁Anti - S la very ▁Society ▁meeting ▁on ▁August ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 8 4 1 . ▁Frederick ▁Doug lass ▁also ▁spoke ▁that ▁day ▁about ▁his ▁experiences ▁as ▁a ▁slave , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁being ▁a ▁lect urer ▁for ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Anti - S la very ▁Society . ▁ ▁Women ▁of ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁set ▁specific ▁fund ra ising ▁goals ▁for ▁their ▁anti - s la very ▁efforts , ▁one ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁to ▁purchase ▁women ▁who ▁were ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁sold ▁into ▁sexual ▁sla very . ▁After ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁women ▁raised ▁money ▁to ▁purchase ▁books ▁for ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁South . ▁By ▁December ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁African - Amer icans ▁R ▁C ▁and ▁E ▁R ▁Johnson ▁established ▁a ▁free - produ ce ▁store ▁in ▁which ▁sugar , ▁mol ass es , ▁coffee , ▁rice ▁and ▁other ▁produce ▁was ▁sold ▁that