Study Notes on Abolitionism, Religion, and American Romanticism
Opposition to Force and Perfectionism
The individual discussed demonstrates an unwavering opposition to force of any kind, including against criminals and invading armies.
This ideology reflects traits of perfectionism and postmillennialism.
Most leading abolitionists of the period were also postmillennialist Christians.
The Burned-Over District
The Burned-Over District emerged as a significant center for antislavery activism.
Key abolitionist reformers:
Theodore Weld:
Background: Son of ministers, older brother a minister; attended Lane Seminary in Cincinnati; involved in the temperance movement.
Charismatic leader who led student revolts against seminary administration over abolitionist activism.
Organized educational initiatives for local African-Americans, despite facing violence from mobs (e.g., being pelted with rocks, eggs, and vegetables).
Toured regions (New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio) advocating for abolitionism.
Collaborated with wife, Angelina Grimke, to publish American Slavery As It Is (1839):
An investigative book based on thousands of accounts detailing the cruelties of slaveholders, including material sourced from Southern publications.
Sold 100,000 copies within one year, influencing notable figures such as Harriet Beecher Stowe during the writing of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Ideological Beliefs of Grimke and Weld
Angelina Grimke:
Converted to Quakerism, shared Weld's postmillennial fervor.
Expressed empathy towards Adventists regarding the Second Coming of Christ, asserting that visibility was not necessary for Christ's reign in the world.
Suggested the commencement of a new era through internal transformation and emphasized the ongoing struggle against slavery as a crime against God and humanity.
Sister Sarah Grimke stated: "No abolitionism is of any value which is not accompanied with deep, heartfelt repentance."
The Tappan Brothers and Religion
The Tappan brothers, notable abolitionists, imposed strict moral codes on their employees including mandatory prayers and abstaining from various activities (e.g., smoking, drinking, late-night outings).
Lewis Tappan emphasized his concern for his brother Benjamin's eternal damnation due to his stance on religion.
Arthur Tappan attempted to persuade Presbyterian churches to deny communion to individuals involved with alcohol.
The antislavery movement gradually absorbed most reform movements due to shared zeal.
Fragmentation of Churches Due to Slavery
The issue of slavery led to notable schisms within churches:
Methodist Church split in 1844, not reuniting for nearly a century.
Baptist Church split in 1845, never reuniting.
This fragmentation created significant challenges for national unity in the United States.
Henry Clay expressed deep concern regarding the Methodist Church's division, highlighting the pain caused by such schisms.
Southern denominations gradually abandoned early abolitionist principles, adopting pro-slavery positions as they became integral parts of the southern establishment.
Romanticism Movement and Literature
A national literature emerged in reaction to Enlightenment rationalism, where American authors critiqued the glorification of reason over intuition.
Most American romantics originated from New England and often rebelled against the materialism and rationalism of their parents.
A longing for the spiritualism characteristic of Puritan ancestors was a common thread among these writers, despite rejecting Calvinist doctrines.
Transcendentalists vs. Other Romantics
Different views on human nature were held among American romantics:
Transcendentalists believed in the inherent goodness of human nature.
Notable novelists/short-story writers (Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe) believed human nature to be inherently bad.
Irony observed as the latter group, despite their unorthodox beliefs, resonated more closely with orthodox Christian views of original sin than did the postmillennialist reformers of the time.
Works of Hawthorne, Melville, and Poe were less popular than those of Stowe and other uplifting authors, surviving through a later, more pessimistic literary phase.
Focus on Fiction Writers: Hawthorne, Melville, and Poe
Nathaniel Hawthorne:
Descendant of a Salem Witch Trials judge, published The Scarlet Letter (1850), a narrative of sin, guilt, and revenge.
The novel centers on Hester Prynne, an adulteress punished by Puritan authorities, showcasing themes of redemption versus destruction.
Hawthorne emphasized the balance between sin/punishment and self-righteousness of Puritan leaders.
In Earth's Holocaust, he critiques the futility of external reform when human nature remains unchanged.
Herman Melville:
Melville viewed Hawthorne's work through a lens of original sin and depravity, recognizing the darkness in human nature.
His greatest work, the novel Moby-Dick (1851), tells the story of Captain Ahab's vengeful quest against the titular whale, reflecting deep existential themes.
Presentation of Captain Ahab:
His obsession with revenge is cataclysmic for himself and his crew.
Warning from first mate Starbuck, "Let Ahab beware of Ahab,” symbolizes internal conflict with madness.
The narrator Ishmael expresses a bleak perspective of humanity and existence, noting universal suffering and existential dread:
Defined notions of human roles in relation to nature and life's inherent struggles: "Who ain't a slave?"
Commentary on the balance of joy and sorrow: "All is vanity" and the constant struggle against oppression and despair.
Thematic implications:
Ahab's struggle represents a larger human condition, misunderstood and mired in suffering.
Overall narratives from these authors highlight the complexities of humanity, intertwining sin, redemption, and existential despair in their storytelling.