Overview of Slavery and Abolitionism in 19th Century America

Ralph Waldo Emerson's Perspective

• Stated that democratic liberty is intrinsically linked to slavery.
• Highlights the apparent contradiction in American ideals of freedom and the existence of slavery.

Population and Slavery in 1810

• U.S. population: Approximately 7.2 million.
• Enslaved Africans and descendants: Roughly 1.2 million, denied basic human rights.
• Contradicts the Declaration of Independence's ideals of liberty and equality.

Thomas Jefferson and Hypocrisy

• Principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
• Owned slaves himself, showcasing the hypocrisy within early American society.

Southern Economic Dependency

• Southern landowners relied heavily on enslaved labor for crops such as rice, cotton, and tobacco.
• Economic arguments were made about the necessity of enslaved workers for agricultural efficiency.

Northern Opposition to Slavery

• Cooler climates and smaller farms resulted in lesser reliance on slavery in the North.
• Growing abolitionist sentiment fueled by moral and religious opposition.
• Abolitionists sought immediate abolition and were sometimes willing to resort to war.

Legislative Developments

• Early 19th-century laws in Northern states aimed to gradually abolish slavery.
• In 1808, Congress prohibited the importation of new slaves from Africa but did not address existing slavery.

Territorial Expansion and the Missouri Compromise (1820)

• New territories, particularly from the Louisiana Purchase, increased tensions over slavery's expansion.
• Missouri Compromise allowed Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
• Defined a line: slavery permitted south, prohibited north, with Missouri as an exception.

Triangular Trade

• Described route:
• Goods from Europe to Africa.
• Enslaved individuals from Africa to the Americas.
• Raw goods from the Americas to Europe.

Tariff Disputes and Sectionalism (1830s)

• Northern industrialists favored high tariffs, and Southern planters opposed them, leading to increased sectional tensions.
• South felt economically exploited by Northern tariff policies.

Fugitive Slave Acts and Slave Catchers

• Enforcers of laws like the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 were financially motivated bounty hunters.
• These laws transformed free states into dangerous territories, compelling Northerners against their will to assist in capture of escapees.
• Stated harsh penalties for those aiding escaped slaves, stripping away safety from Black individuals, regardless of status.

Impact on Northern Society

• Rise of fear among free Black individuals and both societal and legal repercussions for aiding slaves.
• Increased abolitionist sentiment in the North as brutality of recapture incidents underscored inconsistencies in American values.
• The actions of slave catchers symbolized oppression and contributed to national sectional conflict.