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What makes this pamphlet unique isn't who wrote it or even its contents, but who it was written for. Hannah and Mary Townsend, like many in The Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society (PFASS), understood the importance of teaching abolitionism to everyone in society, no matter how young. This pamphlet- The Anti-Slavery Alphabet- was addressed to "our little readers" and was intended to be used to teach children about abolitionism. Each letter of the alphabet is used to represent the horrors of slavery and the justness of abolitionism. 

The pamphlet was found with other archival material in the drawer of a cabinet made by Richard Herrmann.  

The dedication at the beginning empowers its young readers to fight against injustice and encourages them to take direct action through talking with the adults in their lives about the importance of abolition, swaying their friends to the cause, and boycotting goods produced with slave labor. Each page teaches empathy and inspires a sense of responsibility. 

Since its founding in 1833, the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society was one of the more inclusive abolitionist societies as they allowed Black women to join. Sisters Margaretta, Sarah, and Harriet Forten, daughters of the well-known African-American abolitionist James Forten, were three of the co-founders of the society. Throughout its 37 years, PFASS raised what would be today approximately $400,000 for the abolitionist cause. During the Civil War, members of the society actively participated in the Underground Railroad, breaking the law to help those who escaped slavery. The society continued to fight for justice even after the emancipation of those enslaved, as they lobbied and advocated for black suffrage. The society disbanded in 1870 after the ratification of the 15th amendment, which granted African-American men the right to vote.