Abolishing Slavery - Study Notes

Abolishing Slavery - Study Sheet Notes

Objective 1: Leaders of the Abolition Movement

  • Key Terms/Vocabulary

    • Abolitionist: An advocate for the ending of slavery.
    • Underground Railroad: A network of secret routes and safe houses used to help enslaved people escape to free states.

  • People to Know

    • Harriet Tubman: A former enslaved person who became a prominent abolitionist, known for her role in the Underground Railroad.
    • Frederick Douglass: An escaped slave who became a leading voice for abolition and civil rights.
    • William Lloyd Garrison: Prominent abolitionist and founder of the American Anti-Slavery Society.
    • John Brown: A radical abolitionist known for his raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859.
    • The Grimke Sisters: Early female abolitionists from a slaveholding family.
    • Benjamin Banneker: A free African-American who opposed slavery and wrote to Thomas Jefferson about it.
    • Sojourner Truth: Former enslaved woman and a strong advocate for abolition and women's rights.

  • Places

    • Liberia: A country in West Africa founded by freed American slaves.

Objective 2: Abolition of Slavery and Conflict Over New Territory

  • Compromise of 1850

    • Gave the North:
    • Admission of California as a free state.
    • Abolition of slave trade in Washington, D.C.
    • Gave the South:
    • Stronger Fugitive Slave Act.
    • New territorial status for Utah and New Mexico.

  • Fugitive Slave Act: Allowed slave owners to capture runaway slaves in free states, complicating the abolition efforts.

  • People to Know

    • Henry Clay: Key figure in forming the Compromise of 1850.
    • Stephen Douglas: Supported popular sovereignty regarding slavery in newly acquired territories.

Objective 3: Compromises and Legal Decisions

  • Popular Sovereignty: The idea that residents of a territory should decide whether slavery is legal there.

    • Supported by some politicians leading to the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
    • Kansas-Nebraska Act: Repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, allowing slavery north of the previous line.

  • Dred Scott Decision (1857)

    • Dred Scott: Enslaved man who sued for his freedom.
    • Supreme Court ruled that African-Americans could not be citizens and that Congress had no power to regulate slavery in the territories.

  • Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)

    • Lincoln and Douglas debated for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois, discussing slavery and popular sovereignty.
    • Douglas won the election, but Lincoln's prominence grew, leading to his 1860 presidential win.

Objective 4: Lives of Free African-Americans

  • Ways to Become Free: Enslaved individuals could be freed by manumission, purchasing their freedom, or through a legal process.
  • Despite being free, African-Americans faced continued racism, including:
    • Lack of Educational Opportunities: Restricted access to education.
    • Violence: Threats and acts of violence against free blacks.
    • Employment Discrimination: Limited job opportunities and low wages.
    • Restricted Personal Rights: Limitations on travel, property ownership, voting, and testifying in court.