An abolitionist is someone who works to end, or abolish, something they believe is morally wrong. The word most commonly refers to people who fought to end slavery during the 1700s and 1800s.

Slavery existed throughout human history and across many parts of the world. Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, and abolitionists there helped inspire movements elsewhere. In America, where slavery was legal in many states, abolitionists believed it was fundamentally evil and dedicated their lives to ending it. Some abolitionists, like Frederick Douglass, had escaped from slavery themselves and spoke powerfully about its horrors. Others, like Harriet Tubman, risked their lives helping enslaved people escape to freedom through secret routes known as the Underground Railroad. William Lloyd Garrison published a famous abolitionist newspaper called The Liberator, demanding immediate freedom for all enslaved people.

Abolitionists faced serious opposition. Many were threatened, attacked, or imprisoned for their beliefs. But they persisted, giving speeches, writing books and articles, helping people escape, and working to change laws. Their courage and determination eventually helped end slavery in America with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865.

Today, people still use the word abolitionist to describe anyone working to eliminate something harmful or unjust. You might hear about prison abolitionists or death penalty abolitionists. The word carries that same spirit: someone who won't accept a terrible wrong and commits to ending it completely.