David Walker (
1796 - August,
1830) was a black
abolitionist. He was born in
Wilmington, North Carolina. In the 1820s he made a living from a clothing store that he had set up. In Boston, Walker made acquaintances with black right's activists and was involved with the
Freedom's Journal of
New York City, which was the first
African American newspaper. In September, 1829, he published a pamphlet entitled
Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World, which was directed towards the enslaved men and women of the South. Because of Walker's
Appeal, which caused many slaves to gain hope of becoming free, plantation owners created a $3,000 reward for anyone who killed Walker, and a $10,000 reward for anyone who brought him back alive. In August, 1830, two months after publishing the third edition of his
Appeal, David Walker was found dead in his home. Many believe he was poisoned, although there is no evidence to support that allegation.
