The issue of slavery had been entrenched in America for quite a long time1. It started way back in the years before America gained independent when it was still under colonization from the British. At that time, the British had occupied the fertile farms in the land and they needed people to work o them. Since the Indians who were the Natives were considered lax at their work, there was only one way that the British could use to access cheap labor: outsourcing from Africa. However, the labor gotten from Africa was not only cheap but also free. This is because the Africans were used as slaves hence not entitled to any pay.
As time went by and America gained its independence, some of the regions in America freed their slaves while some held onto them2. This led to the realization that Africans were also people who had their rights and deserved to be respected and treated not as lesser humans. These abolition movements started gaining power and drawing more people to their side. Ultimately, some enlightened African-Americans combined efforts with other sympathetic groups to call for proper treatment of the Africans and the freeing of those who were still being used as slaves.
Through these movements, America became a divided land where the North held on to the ideals of slavery while the southern America went on to denounce these ideals and freed the slaves in their land3. In fact, most of the slaves in the South were freed and were also allowed to own property within the U.S. in essence, they were considered as equal human beings who deserved respect just like any other citizen in the U.S. If they worked, then they were entitled to a wage proportional to their work. If they bought property, then they had the right to retain it.
These differing ideals between the two American regions led to a tension between them. The North and South did not see eye to eye on this issue. While the Southern part looked at abolitionist activities as a way of respecting the value of life and dignity of human beings, the North felt that freeing the slaves would be a way of increasing their concentration in America. It also meant that more costs would be incurred during the production processes as no cheap or free labor could be accessed any more after slavery came to a stop.
The two groups became involved in a tag of war4. This is where tensions existed between the North and South. The situation was so serious such that at times, there were fears that the North could attack the south in an attempt to control it so as to gain overall control on the slave trade5. This is where the context of the contest in America came up; as the two groups were struggling to gain control over the slavery issue.
This rivalry was the reason as to why slavery came to an end. Since the two regions could not agree, there existed a lot of tension with fears of attack. The advocates for the abolition took advantage of this to intensify their anti-slavery campaigns and further advance their interests. The masters were divided but the slaves spoke with one voice. As such, there was no way that they could be restrained. The storm on slavery gathered and ultimately the abolitionists succeeded. The disagreement between the North and South was responsible for the end of slavery6.
Bibliography
Mill, John Stuart. The Contest in America. (1862). Fraser’s Magazine.
