The Abolitionist Movement

From the earliest days of the Republic many

Americans opposed slavery Some founders knew it would be difficult to

remain true to the ideals of liberty and equality if we continued to allow slavery

Certain religious groups in the North and South argued slavery was a sin ( Baptists and Quakers)

Early Opposition to slavery (242)

Gradualism Colonization

Different Approaches to Abolition

Early anti-slavery societies supported

gradualism Gradualism- approach or belief that slavery had

to be ended gradually (slowly)Steps:1) Stop slave traders from bringing new slaves

into the U.S. 2) Then phase out (slowly end)slavery in the

North and Upper South3) Finally, ending slavery in the Lower South

Gradualism

In your own words, what does the word Compensation mean?

Vocab

Something, typically money, awarded to someone as a payment for loss, injury, or suffering

In this theory/strategy for ending slavery,

Slaveholders would be compensated for their loss of slave(s)

Supporters of gradualism thought this would give the South’s economy time to adjust to the loss of enslaved labor

Gradualism (Continued)

The first antislavery societies believed that ending

slavery would not end racism in the United States Many thought the best solution to ending U.S.

slavery was to send African Americans back to their ancestral homelands in Africa

December 1816 antislavery reformers created the American Colonization Society (ACS) to move African Americans to Africa Supporters included: James Madison, James Monroe,

Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John Marshall

Colonization (242-243)

In 1821, The American Colonization Society

(ACS) acquired (got) land in West Africa In 1822, Free African Americans began

boarding ships chartered by the ACS to take them to Africa

They established a colony that became the country of Liberia

Liberia

Liberia

Liberians declared independence in 1847 Adopted a constitution based off the U.S.

Constitution Named the capital Monrovia after president

James Monroe

Liberia

Former Liberian flag (1827-1847)

Liberian Flag to present day

Despite the founding of Liberia colonization was

never a realistic solution:1)Cost of transporting African Americans was too high2)The ACS relied on donations3)Moving the 1.5 million Africans Americans to Africa was nearly impossible4)Also, most African Americans regarded the U.S. as their home and di not want to move 12,000 of 1.5 million African Americans went to

Africa Between 1821-1860

Colonization’s Shortcomings

Gradualism and Colonization-main goals of

anti-slavery groups until the 1830’s New idea- Abolition Abolitionists argued that enslaved African

Americans should be freed immediately without gradual measures or compensation

Abolitionism

Gained support in 1830’s for a number of

reasons Idea came from the Second Great Awakening

-sin and repentance (?) Repentance- ask forgiveness-abolitionists believed slavery was an “enormous evil”

Abolition (243)

David Walker

• 1st well known advocate (supporter/believer)of abolition

• Published Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World • In this pamphlet he

advocated violence and rebellion as the only way to end slavery

William Lloyd Garrison

• Credited for being a main contributor to:• The rapid development of a

large national abolitionist movement in the 1830’s

• 1831- moved to Boston and founded the antislavery newspaper entitled the Liberator • In this paper he shared his

disapproval of colonization and attacked the Constitution for not banning slavery

• Garrison was clear in his beliefs: “slavery was immoral and slaveholders were evil

• Called for immediate and complete Emancipation (?)

Emancipation-Freeing of all enslaved people

Abolition Video David Walker and Garrison

Theodore Weld- one of the most effective leaders, recruiting and training many abolitionists for the American Anti-Slavery Society

Other Abolitionist Leaders

Arthur and Lewis Tappan- two devote (?) and wealthy brothers from New York City, helped finance the movement

Other Abolitionist LeadersLewis Arthur

Dedicated

Lucretia Mott-a

women’s rights advocate (?) -often spoke out in favor of abolitionism as well

Female AbolitionistsSupporter, promoter, believer

Sarah and Angelina Grimke –two South Carolina sisters moved North to work openly against slavery

Female Abolitionists

SarahAngelina

Free African Americans played a major role in

the abolitionist movement By 1850 190,000 free blacks lived in the North

Many of these individuals participated in abolitionism

These individuals endured prejudice but still enjoyed being free

African Americans established over 50 abolitionist societies prior to Garrison launching his newspaper called the Liberator

African American Abolitionists

She gained her freedom in

1827 when the state of New York freed all remaining slaves

In 1840’s she gave antislavery speeches that drew huge crowds

Sojourner Truth

Frederick Douglass

One of the most prominent

African Americans in the abolitionist movement

1838 escaped slavery (posing as sailor)

During his time in slavery he managed to find clever ways to learn to read and write

Douglass

Douglass published his

own antislavery newspaper called the North Star

He also wrote an autobiography that was published in 1845

Douglass

In the North – mixture of reactions from

support, indifference, and opposition In the South –They felt their way of life was

under attack

The Response to Abolitionism

Many opposed slavery but some opposed

abolition even more They saw it as a threat to the existing social

system Some whites including prominent business

people warned it would lead to war between the North and South

Many in the North also did not want to see the South’s economy crumble

North’s Reaction to Abolitionism

Imagine you are an American citizen at this time, why might you believe the South’s economy would fall apart with abolition (ending of slavery)?

Think, Pair, Share

Many in the North also did not want to see the

South’s economy crumble. Why?

• Northern Banks would not get the money owed to them by Southern planters

• Also, Northern textile mills needed the cotton produced in the South •Some feared war•Others though it would cause an influx (flood) of free blacks in the North

Mobs in Northern cities often attacked

Abolitionists In Boston a mob stoned and almost hanged

Garrison Weld was often attacked after he gave public

speeches Some were even killed

Ex: Elijah P. Lovejoy killed trying to protect his printing press

However…

North

Northerners hated Southern slave-catchers,

who kidnapped African American runaways in the North & brought them back to the South

In response, some Northern states passed personal liberty laws restricting slave recapture

However…

North –industrial South still agricultural still relied on slave labor

to harvest cotton South Carolina’s governor called slavery a

national benefit

Reaction in the South

Turner was a slave who led a slave rebellion

killing over 50 Virginians Southerners blamed Garrison’s newspaper

called the _______newspaper, which did not even circulate in the South (?)

Southerners demanded the suppression of abolitionist material as a condition of staying in the Union(?)

Nat Turner

Liberator To put an end to forcibly

Nat Turner

Southern postal workers refused to deliver

Abolitionist newspapers Under Southern pressure the House of

Representatives passed a gag rule – this order forced all abolitionist petitions (formal requests) to be pushed away without debate

Southern Response

Caused a great uproar William Lloyd Garrison started this movement,

thousands of others struggled to keep it going This reminded the nation that the country was

divided on the institution of slavery and other issues

Abolitionism