Debating Slavery

• The US is being drawn apart by slavery.

  • It turns from a political issue to a moral issue. Americans eventually divide into factions, with one side saying slavery is unaccetable, with others saying the nation cannot be without slavery.

  • How did it get to be this way?

• In the late 18th and early 19th century, antislavery sentiment began to rise.

  • In the south, because the slave trade ended in 1808, the large master class now had a large, limited supply of slaves.

  • Slavery began to be on the rise thanks to the increase of cotton, leading to the smuggling of slaves into the country.

  • Eventually, newly formed countries in latin america and Britian would ban slavery altogether around the 1830s and didn’t exist by the 40s. Slavery also began to diminish in other places.

  • Slavery has trouble fitting into the new economy with regards to the industrial revolution. It has trouble fitting into the new world of railroads and transportation, so it diminishes in areas where that has more importance. It also doesn’t fit in with the middle class, as they are moving to metropolitan environments. The second great awakening also starts a rise of anti-savery sentiment, as those hit by the fervor decry against the system.

  • The enlightment gave talking points to both sides. Abolitionists said that keeping people as slaves goes against freedom and liberty, while slavery supporters used scientific racism to play into their arguements.

  • There are debates on what it means to be American - does it mean agreeing with slavery? Some say you have to fight for the freedom of all, so no slavery.

Lecture 2

• How did abolition become a majority?

  • Newspapers like the Liberator became a vocal point

    • William Lloyd Garrison founds it and the paper becomes his mouthpiece.

  • Formation of the American Anti slavery society

  • David Walker calls for slaves to free themself

  • Frederick Douglass is another figure - agrees with walker in using violence to achieve freedom.

• Important to note just because someone was an abolitionist didn’t mean they believed in racial equality

  • They could also be sexist

• Pro slavery also began to change

  • They went from saying the institution was bad to defending it. They say it can be used to convert the slaves to christianity and “humanize” them.