Success Quote by Lewis Tappan

A businessman pledging endurance "come life or death" is doing more than striking a dramatic pose; he is rebranding persistence as a moral duty. Lewis Tappan made his money in commerce, but he’s best remembered for putting that commercial discipline in service of abolitionist organizing. In that context, "We will persevere" reads like a boardroom vow repurposed for a movement built on mail campaigns, fundraising, legal defense, and relentless public pressure. The line’s power is that it refuses the luxury of wavering: perseverance isn’t a personality trait here, it’s strategy.

The phrase "come life or death" does two things at once. It acknowledges the real stakes of antebellum activism - mob violence, social ruin, legal retaliation, even physical danger - and it dares opponents to escalate. There’s an implicit message to allies as much as enemies: if you join, you’re not signing up for a season of outrage; you’re signing up for attrition. The plural "we" matters, too. Tappan isn’t selling individual heroism. He’s insisting on collective stamina, the kind required when change arrives slowly and backlash arrives fast.

Subtextually, this is also a credibility play. Coming from a man associated with profit and respectability, the vow signals a break with the idea that business should stay neutral. He stakes reputation, capital, and safety on the claim that some causes demand the same hard-nosed commitment markets do - and more.