Thomas Wentworth Higginson’s legacy as a reformer and writer

Thomas Wentworth Higginson was a fierce abolitionist, women’s rights advocate, Civil War colonel, and mentor to Emily Dickinson.

Portrait of Union Army Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson (1823–1911), who commanded the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment, one of the first African American regiments in the U.S. Army, circa 1905. © Interim Archives/Getty Images

By Novanka Laras

Thomas Wentworth Higginson lived an extraordinary life, balancing his roles as a political and social reformer with his work as a man of letters. A newspaper once described him as someone whose specialty was “to unite the activities of a political and social reformer with the grace and dignity of a man of letters.” Over 87 years, he was a teacher, minister, abolitionist, women’s-rights advocate, state legislator, and colonel of an African American regiment in the Civil War. He also mentored Emily Dickinson, though he struggled to understand her unconventional poetry. His life was defined by constant action, and his legacy remains a fascinating mix of radical activism and literary achievement.

Douglas Egerton’s biography, A Man on Fire, captures Higginson’s relentless energy, particularly in his abolitionist efforts. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Higginson did not limit himself to speeches and essays; he took direct action. He participated in a failed attempt to free Anthony Burns, an enslaved man recaptured in Boston, even wielding a battering ram to break into a courthouse. He also helped transport arms to Kansas during the violent struggle over slavery and financially supported John Brown’s infamous raid on Harpers Ferry.

A radical abolitionist and progressive thinker

Born in 1823, Higginson was deeply influenced by the moral idealism of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who believed that actions spoke louder than words. Higginson’s activism extended beyond abolitionism to temperance, women’s suffrage, and religious reform. His outspoken anti-slavery views cost him his first ministerial position, but he remained undeterred, becoming one of the Atlantic Monthly’s most prolific contributors during the 1850s. His essays on slave revolts, later collected in Black Rebellion: Five Slave Revolts, argued that enslaved people were fully capable of fighting for their own freedom.

Unlike many white abolitionists, Higginson recognized that Black voices needed to be at the forefront of the movement. He criticized his peers for assuming they alone could lead the fight against slavery, emphasizing the importance of Black activists such as Frederick Douglass. He clashed with pacifist abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison, preferring direct confrontation over passive resistance.

A literary man torn between reform and art

Despite his radical politics, Higginson had a deep love for literature and nature. He was one of the first to appreciate Henry David Thoreau’s writing, and his essays often celebrated the natural world. He was also connected to the Fireside Poets and admired Emerson’s work. However, he struggled to grasp the genius of Emily Dickinson, whom he described as “my partially cracked poetess.”

Dickinson first wrote to Higginson in 1862, seeking advice on her poetry. Although he found her work unconventional, he recognized its brilliance. He discouraged her from publishing, believing her style was too unusual for contemporary readers, but after her death, he played a key role in bringing her poems to the public.

Leading African American soldiers in the Civil War

One of Higginson’s most significant roles was commanding the first regiment of Black soldiers in the Union Army. From 1862 to 1864, he led the 1st South Carolina Volunteers, an experience that reinforced his belief in Black self-determination. His leadership made him a prime target for Confederate forces, yet he fearlessly carried out dangerous missions, including swimming across a channel to spy on enemy encampments. He and his men carried copies of the Emancipation Proclamation as they liberated enslaved people in the South.

Higginson’s military career ended when he was injured by the concussion of a cannonball, but his regiment’s success proved that Black soldiers could fight as bravely as any others. This moral victory was crucial to the Union cause.

A lasting impact on activism and literature

Egerton’s biography paints a vivid picture of a man who fought for equality on multiple fronts and formed relationships with some of the most influential figures of the 19th century. Higginson knew Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Lucy Stone, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Mark Twain. He despised Walt Whitman’s poetry but championed many other writers. His relentless energy allowed him to shift between writing nature essays in the morning and delivering fiery speeches at reform meetings in the evening.

As Higginson grew older, he saw many of his causes succeed, though his own influence waned. He remained committed to justice, once declaring, “Let my memory perish, if only humanity may be free.” Thanks to Egerton’s A Man on Fire, Higginson’s memory endures, ensuring that his remarkable contributions to abolition, women’s rights, and literature are not forgotten.