The Abolitionist Movement 1830 – 1865 Alexander Cunningham UMUC Abstract The Abolitionist Movement during 1830 and 1865 was a crusade to achieve immediate emancipation of all slaves, and to end racial segregation and discrimination. This anti-slavery movement consisted of black and white abolitionists in the North, with outposts in the upper South, who denounced slavery as illegal, immoral, economically backward and violated human rights. The advocating of these goals raised issues leading to the Civil War and the Emancipation of all slaves. Abolitionist ideas became increasingly prominent in northern churches and politics in the 1830s.In addition to advocating for immediate emancipation, abolitionists created Anti-Slavery Societies, and were supported by fellow Distinguished Anti-Slavery Advocates, Religious, Political, Radical and Militant Abolitionists who all argued for the same cause: emancipation of all slaves. This essay will recount well-known Anti-Slavery Advocates, societies and how these events known as the, “The Second Great Awakening,” contributed to the regional animosity between North and South and was a factor that leads to the Civil War.
The African Americans, united in their quest for creating ‘a perfect union’ which at its very earliest ended when the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified. Barker (2013), in his book, recollects the autobiographical notes and personal anecdote of various events from the black and white slaves who played an integral part in the American war against slavery. A socio political approach is used by Barker to engage his readers in how the African Americans continued their battle in middle 1800s. There are eight cases of the fleeing bondsmen included in the books who were pursued by their owners and in some cases, by the federal allies who claimed ownership of these slaved under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. In the chapters that follow, along with the well reclaimed fugitive slaves, Barker also introduced their abolitionist allies including Theodore Parker, Lewis Hayden, Frederick Douglas, Wendell Phillips and Samuel Joseph May who are proclaimed as the Revolutionary war heroes.
He was committed to the antislavery cause and worked unceasingly for improvement of black civil rights. In 1837 Reason, Henry Highland Garnet, and George Downing launched a petition drive in support of full black suffrage. He was also secretary of the 1840 New York State Convention for Negro Suffrage. Reason founded and was executive secretary of the New York Political Improvement Association, which won for fugitive slaves the right to a jury trial in the state. In 1841 he lobbied successfully for the abolition of the sojourner law, which permitted slave owners to visit the state briefly with their slaves.
Nineteenth century abolitionists shared many of the philosophies of the transcendentalists, and based on the beliefs of individual rights, they fought to free the slaves in the south and end slavery in the in the united states entirely. This movement set the basis for some of the most memorable and revolutionary movements in American history, and also provided the spark to ignite the roaring fire that was the Civil war. Two influential social reformers that led to the Abolitionist movement were William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips. Garrison’s approach to demand change was very unique, he began in his attack by admitting that he is harsh, but then goes on to use that to his advantage. He accurately illustrated the harsh realities that the slaves endured and made a lasting impression by making the point that slaves are not property to be owned and sold, that they are people and they deserve to be treated like human beings.
The civil war was started in 1861 which was caused by slavery. It was suppose to be a white man's war. White southerners would wage war to make the confederacy a seperate and independent nation free to promote slavery. As a result the white northerners took up arms to maintain the Union but not to free a single slave. The blacks has contributed a lot of work to gain their own freedom.
“Frederick Douglass was the most important African American leader and intellectual of the nineteenth century. He lived twenty years as a slave and nearly nine years as a fugitive slave” (Blight, 1). He planned on escaping from the plantation and starting a new life dedicated to the fight for equality. His early attempts failed, but finally in 1838, he managed to board a train that was headed to Maryland and out of the south, from there Douglass travelled to New York to the house of David Ruggles, who was also an anti-slavery activist. His autobiography focuses on his life as a salve and how these hardships shaped the man he became later on in his life.
Instead of accepting the response: The Abolitionist Movement began to grow. Abolition = get rid of slavery all together Top leaders were: Frederick Douglas who escaped slave who found courage to0 speak out. He wrote an autobiography and published an anti-slavery newspaper “The North Star” William Lloyd Garrison who was a white, northern abolitionist who founded “The
“I have a dream”, were the words spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. during a speech that would forever change America, and history. Martin Luther King Jr. did have a dream, a dream that all black women, men, and children would be treated equally, and have the same rights as whites did. Born on January 15th 1929, in Atlanta Georgia, he was first a Baptist minister at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. With a passion for Civil Rights and a strong believer of non-violence, he later became the leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. This movement was made to outlaw discrimination against black Americans and grant them voting rights.
Although Thoreau was not the first to introduce these ideas, he may have been the first to bring it to the attention of many Americans. They both effectively illustrate their philosophy that civil disobedience is a necessity. As I said before, Thoreau was writing during the transcendentalism era in America during the mid 1800s. The main issue behind “Civil Disobedience” is slavery that is taking place in America. By this time, slavery is a very hotly debated issue in America, even eventually leading to the Civil War.
A lot of these leaders were born into slavery and escaped, passing on powerful messages to the people to come together and fight for their rights. I found Fredrick Douglas to be a good example of one who was born into slavery. He had a slave mom and a white dad that resulted in him being sent to another plantation to be a servant because of his color. In 1838, Douglas escaped and became part of an Anti-Slavery Society in 1841. He gave a powerful speech on the fourth of July addressing his fellow African Americans called ‘What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July.’ He portrays how all of America celebrates Independence Day with their political freedom.