
No record has been found of Walker's education, but in his writing there is evidence of literary ability and historical knowledge. His Appeal advocates the overthrow of the slave system, through violence if necessary. Even such abolitionist leaders as William Lloyd Garrison objected to Walker's overly radical ideas and tone. Nevertheless, the Appeal was intended to strengthen blacks' resolve and give them hope of freedom. Reaction among slave owners in North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia, where copies were smuggled in from Boston and New York, was, predictably, prompt and harsh.