Among his writings, The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States is often considered his seminal and most controversial work. It was first published in 1852, a time of intense conflict between pro-slavery and antislavery forces. Delany used The Condition, Elevation. Emigration to analyze this conflict and its probable solution. Crafting a skillful argument, he attached slavery and the subjugation of Black people. To underscore the capacity of Blacks to live as equals, he recorded their achievements in business, agriculture, literature, the military, and other professions. Concluding that Blacks would never be allowed to coexist with whites, Delany completed his analysis by suggesting possible locations for Black emigration. He wrote, "We are a nation within a nation. ...We must go from our oppressors."