The antebellum era (1790-1861) of American history was a revolutionary time for higher education in response to the question of slavery. Demonstrations of student protest in that age resulted in landmark change and contributed to the cause of abolition in the land. This study seeks to provide an accurate description of the historical actions of James Bradley and the Lane Theological Seminary Rebels and the subsequent establishment of the first official policy in American higher education to admit students without regard to race at Oberlin College in 1835. The issues examined illustrate the onerous path for access to higher education for African American students, the long-term effects of thoughtful student protest, and Freire's (2000) theory of dialogic action as a theoretical framework for examining forms of protest that prompt enduring change. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]