Slavery in the United States could be considered one of the darkest moments of early American history as the newly established nation had caused one of the largest migrations of slaves through the Atlantic. African Americans and Africans were forced to let go of their traditions, identity, and human rights as they are treated as animals without rights to freedom. Many slaves had opted to stay quiet and accept their fate while a few had tried to fight back and learn the methods in fighting those in power and subsequently call out for their rights. While a few had tried to oppose the so-called abolitionists, the abolitionists had ensured that the seeds of doubt would be planted and call for an effective stance against slavery. With the abolitionists leading the fight against slavery, African Americans and Africans were given hope that they can be freed from their oppressive life and eventually, succeed in influencing the elimination of slavery.
The idea of slavery was not considered a topic of immense importance to the Americans by the 16th century as they were concerned on assessing the benefits of stepping in the New World. In reality, slaves were first considered as servants, with full rights and freedoms in the early 1600s to the 1700s. Historians have stated that slaves were originally from African, and South American nations asked to be servants in exchange for labor and a few liberties like salaries and the chance to determine as to when they could be freed. In some instances, slaves can also request to their owners if they wish to be paid through cash, freedom or a ticket back to their homeland or to any part of the globe they wish. Slaves in the early period were also given breaks while the colonists studied the New World. It is stated that the colonists had treated the slaves with just treatment because they only took this habit with them to America from the mainland. Contracts were not used with early slaves as the colonists did not have the means to pay these slaves since they do not have upkeep still in the New World and the colonists would not be able to sustain the fees needed for these slaves to keep working for them. Nonetheless, the 1600s to the early 1700s, the African American slaves did not need to worry about oppression and were allowed to flourish as normal citizens, improving regions such as the Caribbean Islands and Virginia. Eventually, some African Americans settled down in the New World after their contracts had finished. However, as the 1700s continued, the African American communities then returned back to being forced to slavery, especially in the South . Slaves were rounded up by slave owners and were stripped out of their identities, cultures and self-worth, making them illiterate and oppressed with slanderous names. Human rights were removed from these slaves to ensure that they will be ground to whatever is ordered upon them. They were also resold if they are capable to continue working .
Many Americans in the period tend to stray away from the fact of topic of anti-slavery as they were still trying to pick up the pieces of the country, especially after the Revolutionary War. Nonetheless, there were a few who already held resentment over the fact that slaves were treated against their rights as fellow humans. Some colonists were also against the idea of oppressing slaves and even raised their opinion over slavery in the country. The Quakers and the Mennonites are some of the first notable groups who have fought against slavery and became known as the first abolitionists. The Quakers or Society of Friends played a key role in opening the eyes of the Americans when it comes to the abolition of slavery. The society was founded in Great Britain in the 1650s and promoted rigorous Christianity that caused persecution to befall upon the group in the mainland and even in America. With the radical upbringing of the Quakers, it led them to question slavery and its legalities in 1657 led by George Fox. The group then took slaves with them and converted them to the society, treating them like brothers. The Quakers then fought for slave freedom as it clashed with Christian freedom and norms, as well as protected those from the slave rebellion. While there were a few Quakers who slowly looked pass their creed to save slaves, ordinary Quakers worked to fight against slavery. Throughout 1740, the Quakers continued to fight their position as seen in the work of John Woolman and Anthony Benezet . On the other hand, the Mennonites had been considered significant opposition to slavery especially as it did not allow the church to even own slaves, especially its members. Nonetheless, unlike the Quakers, they did not take active campaigns to fight slavery all together. However, they were mostly present in the latter part of the 18th century upon the dawn of the prohibition of slavery throughout the country .
Aside from the Mennonites and the Quakers, some colonies have also forbidden slavery as they see it as a violation of human rights. Georgia and Rhode Island, for example, had banned slavery in their territories in 1652. However, the laws held no power behind them, enabling slavery to continue in their regions. Some of the abolitionists did not back down with the arguments of the pro-slavery groups as they continued their crusade against slavery. These abolitionists had countered the pro-slavery groups, stating that slavery must be removed as it endangers the Union and the sanctity of freedom. Several complications may also arise when it comes to slavery’s continuance as there will come a point that slave owners would not be able to sustain these slaves due to increasing expenses. Slavery would also cause damage to communities since it stunts improvement and the balance between employment and unemployment. A decline is also likely to happen if slavery continues according to abolitionists since talents would be wasted from both sides of the colonists and the slaves themselves. Abolitionists also argued that slavery is a sinful act to commit, especially by those who own slaves. Many have neglected their duties to their fellow man, according to abolitionists, causing discord to pursue between the Americans and the African Americans. One of the notable abolitionists which used this argument is Samuel Sewall (1700) as he noted that God had joined people together in one world for a reason, and they should not force the other in another side .
However, while the abolitionists had tried to argue to the elimination of slavery, there were still instances wherein blacks risked their lives to resist slavery and even ran away from their captors as many still did not listen to their cries, as well give importance to the abolitionists. Most of these runaway slaves went to inhabited areas and passed to neutral territories such as in Charleston, Savannah, and Chesapeake and in the Middle Colonies. The first slave uprising in the period happened in New York City in 1712 when slaves set fire to houses in the outskirts of the city and killed the first responders to the crisis. While the eighteen conspirators to the uprising were killed, it opened the minds of other slaves to question the status quo. Following the New York Rebellion is the 1732 rebellion, which happened in Louisiana . By mid-18th century after the Revolutionary War, the movements against slavery slowly taken enough influence and made their presence known again to the public. The Founding Fathers themselves had argued against slavery as it hinders the Constitution’s goal to create a unified American union. However, the pro-slavery groups had made it hard for abolitionists to act upon their programs to help slaves as they argued that if the slaves are removed from their jobs and from their communities, not only would the government have a hard time adopting these groups to society, but they would also have a hard time reeducating these African Americans to understand how America works.
While early abolitionists and pro-slavery groups continued to clash, several cases of anti-slavery were also won in various parts of the country such as in 1783 for Massachusetts, 1791 in Vermont and 1780 to 1804 in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York and in New Jersey. Each of these colonies had enforced their own emancipation statutes to allow slaves to gain their freedom and have the same rights as that of regular citizens. The South slowly had been influenced by anti-slavery campaigns after the Revolution. One of the most notable abolitionists in the area is Virginian Robert Carter III in 1791 as he and his family freed 500 slaves and gave them land. Some slave owners even vouched they would free the slaves with a ticket to Liberia or in other regions upon their freedom . Abolitionists were now slowly gaining ground over their stance throughout the region as various groups were now making their influence known. The Quaker influence grew significantly, enabling abolition to become an decisive political issue . Eventually, they managed to influence colonies to prohibit slavery such as in 1780. The Mennonites, in their end, concentrated in getting petitions signed around Pennsylvania to abolish slavery. They had also opposed the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. Some of the most notable actors from the Mennonites like Daniel Kauffman, Deacon Samuel Kendig and Christian Frantz were arrested for freeing slaves and smuggling them out of their colonies; however, they still continued their action for the sake of freedom .
While many still had doubts over the pro-slavery and abolitionist debate, the abolitionists had continued their arguments against pro-slavery, noting that slavery removes common humanity given to all people, especially human rights. With many of the abolitionist groups ex-slaves or escapees, they challenged pro slavery with a passion. The South was still as adamant to retain their control over their slaves, becoming the hot targets of the abolitionists throughout 1800s to the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Slavery in the South were considered a perversion to Christianity according to Abolitionists, calling ministers “man-stealers”, “women-whippers”, and “cradle-plunderers”. Moses Roper, a known abolitionist in the area, even wrote a story about a man who was whipped by his “master” just for the fact that the man did not practice Sabbath due to his “chores”. The abolitionists had also called for the attention of many to see that the Southern Church has deviated what Christianity teaches, focusing more on the importance of slavery than the word of God. Henry “Box Brown” (1816-1889), an escapee from the South wrote in his work that masters were seen as Gods in teachings while children were Jesus Christ. In his work, Brown explained that the idea that their masters and their children were the images of God, and Jesus Christ respectively is false as they do not show mercy to their slaves or to their brethren . Abolitionists had also been encouraged by the British emancipation model, which they observed in 1830. Northern US Abolitionists had tried to introduce innovations from the British model to ensure that the public opinion on slavery is changed and would call for the end of slavery.
Several groups such as the American Antislavery Society, founded a few months after the December 1833 British Emancipation Act, published several documents in 1834 up to 1840 that would show how the British abolitionism model works and eventually, other antislavery and abolitionist organizations had used it in the country. The group was led by William Lloyd Garrison, who was then aided by Theodore Weld, and Robert Purvis; who called for the immediate emancipation of slaves and the repentance of slave owners regarding their act. The AAS had even invited the British Agency Committee, headed by George Thompson, to tour the nation with lectures discussing the importance of anti-slavery and its abolition. In the female end, groups such as the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society were founded in 1833, supporting the AAS and Thompson’s tours. Thompson’s tours were quite effective, inciting to rebellion against slavery. While the legislature had banned antislavery petitions from abolitionists, it was unable to sustain the blackout as the abolitionists continued to send their petitions to the government.
One of the most notable abolitionists in the period was Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), who wrote “My Bondage and My Freedom”, in 1855, detailing that slaves were placed on trial and are placed in the lowest scale of humanity. He had demonstrated in his biography that, once slavery is removed from American society, it would remove racism and issues that may plague the country’s development. Douglass, before being an abolitionist and one of the frontrunners to the cause, had self-taught himself to understand subjects normally offered to White Americans, and escaped his oppressive rulers before joining the abolitionists. The book he wrote paved way to the end of slavery and subsequently found his freedom after a two year stay in England. There were also Evangelical abolitionists who aided in the cause of abolitionists around the nation, such as Bates College and Oberlin College. Another book had aided the cause of abolitionists entitled Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The book outlined the horrors of slavery in the eyes of abolitionists and from slaves who managed to struggle free, kick starting other similar books to call for the end of slavery . There were also abolitionists who supported the Underground Railroad, a secret network for slaves to escape to neutral and free territories with the help of the abolitionists.
However, the subsequent Civil War in 1861 had been the turning point of the slavery debate, especially after the election of Abraham Lincoln, a known supporter of anti-slavery sentiments. The Civil War is considered the primary trigger that ended the chattel slavery trade in America, especially as the South tried to resist the current government. Of course, the Civil War caused the disruption on the country’s economic sector as the South provided almost half of the country’s exports of cotton as the slaves were the ones responsible for the continuous thriving of the area. Throughout the fighting between the Confederacy and the Union, Abraham Lincoln made a crucial announcement in 1863, stating that slavery is the cause of the war. The Proclamation was a crucial move that promised freedom for the slaves, which is welcomed by many from the abolitionists. While the proclamation had indeed presented a good gift to the abolitionists, they still had attacked the government especially when Lincoln proposed his reconstruction plan after the war as it did not show any strict punishment to slave owners and a clear plan to assist the slaves from recovery. Slavery had eventually ended in December 1865 with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, freeing slaves in various parts of the nation .
It is agreeable that the age of slavery in the United States could be considered a dark stain in the rich history of the most powerful country in the globe; however, it had also served as a trigger to showcase as to how equality and human rights had played a key role in shaping the nation. Without the actions of the abolitionists regarding slavery, it is likely that the African Americans would not be able to see freedom from oppression and even see the day slavery would be banned throughout the country. The lack of abolitionists to fight for rights would have also ensured that African Americans and the like would never see the importance of their rights and their identities, even strive hard to fight for these rights. The people who made abolition of slavery count can be considered pioneers of human rights and equality to the otherwise growing America. Slavery, should have it continued, would have likely caused more strife in America, which would have prevented it from developing its fledgling government and open more opportunities for it to American to fall into enemy hands.
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