17. Topic: Abolitionism and the Women’s Movement. Thesis: During the years preceding the Civil War, a growing chorus rose against slavery. However, while the Abolition movement, led by such notables as William Lloyd Garrison and Benjamin Lundy, raised the consciousness of the citizens of the North; this movement also benefited from the participation of many important women activists. These women identified with the plight of slaves and believed that their political support for the Abolitionists’ cause would lead to reciprocal support in the future, a hope that would prove false.