ton ▁mill s ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁re lied ▁on ▁cot ton ▁from ▁the ▁South . ▁All ▁that ▁said , ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁was ▁" a ▁unique ▁place , ▁a ▁cosm opol itan ▁place , ▁with ▁much ▁to ▁offer ." ▁And , ▁after ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁F ug itive ▁S lave ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁law ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁" r uling ▁sentiment ▁of ▁the ▁town ." ▁ ▁Anti - s la very ▁efforts ▁Anti - s la very ▁organizations ▁established ▁in ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁generally ▁started ▁out ▁as ▁integrated ▁organizations , ▁but ▁later ▁became ▁seg reg ated . ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 4 ▁the ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁Anti - S la very ▁Society ▁was ▁established ▁as ▁an ▁integrated ▁organization . ▁Its ▁first ▁president , ▁Rev . ▁John ▁Ch ou les ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Bapt ist ▁Church , ▁was ▁a ▁white ▁English ▁imm igr ant . ▁There ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁Br istol ▁County ▁Anti - S la very ▁Society . ▁Se par ate ▁groups ▁were ▁formed ▁for ▁young ▁men ▁and ▁for ▁women . ▁The ▁Qu aker ▁meeting house ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁anti - s la very ▁address ▁by ▁Benjamin ▁Lund ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 8 ▁and ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁safe ▁house ▁for ▁fug itive ▁slaves . ▁ ▁New ▁Bed ford , ▁a ▁port ▁town , ▁received ▁ships ▁from ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁world , ▁bringing ▁crew ▁members ▁of ▁different ▁cult ures ▁and ▁languages . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁it