Kami Export - (Student) Mollie Dittmer - ch 4

Chapter 4: The Abolitionist Debate

Key Question

• Why did abolitionism become such a powerful force in the 1830s?

Evolution of the Abolitionist Movement

• Transitioned from religious protest and colonization efforts to more political organization and violent protest.

• Considerable political effect observed post-1840.

Anti-Slavery Agitation Before 1830

• Originated as a religious issue, supported mainly by Protestant denominations:

  • Key Contributors: Quakers as the driving force; Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Baptists also played roles.

  • Quakers condemned slavery on moral grounds based on the principle of equality before God.

• Many saw slavery as incompatible with revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality, and democratic participation.

• Compatibility issues with free enterprise concept.

Success in Northern States

• Gradual abolition of slavery began in Northern states, initiated by Vermont in 1777.

• By 1820, slavery had nearly been abolished in all Northern states:

  • Legislation: Northwest Ordinance of 1787 prohibited slavery in Northwest Territory.

  • Congressional Actions: In 1808, Congress made the African slave trade illegal following Britain's example.

• Anti-slavery sentiment grew despite the small number of slaves in the North.

The Abolitionist Debate and Militant Abolitionism

• The abolitionist crusade was a long-term reform movement with roots from the mid-18th century until the 1860s.

• Increased tension between North and South arising from militant abolitionism and Western expansion concerns.

The Situation by 1830

• Before 1830, anti-slavery advocacy was sparse, mainly located in the upper South:

  • Organizations: In 1827, Benjamin Lundy noted only 106 emancipation societies with 5,150 members in slave states and 24 societies with 1,475 members in free states.

• Anti-slavery sentiments began gaining strength among blacks and sympathetic whites in the North.

• Key publication: Walker’s Appeal (1829) by David Walker promoted insurrection against slavery.

Abolitionism in the 1830s

William Lloyd Garrison

• An influential figure advocating for immediate abolition, rejecting gradual emancipation and colonization.

• Launched The Liberator in January 1831, proclaiming his uncompromising stance on abolition.

  • Quote: "I... will not equivocate... I will be heard!"

• Engaged in other reform movements like pacifism, temperance, and women’s rights, but faced criticism for being radical and self-righteous.

The National Anti-Slavery Society (AAS)

• Founded in 1833, with members reaching 250,000 by 1838; pledged to immediate emancipation without expatriation.

• Utilized paid agents for lectures, literature distribution, and petitions to Congress.

• Key Figures: Garrison, Lewis and Arthur Tappan, and Theodore Dwight Weld.

• Abolitionists produced considerable anti-slavery literature, notably the work of the Grimké sisters from a Southern slaveholding background.

The Influence of Theodore Dwight Weld

• Most effective agent of Garrison and the AAS, established anti-slavery training schools.

• Published impactful works like The Bible Against Slavery (1837) and American Slavery As It Is (1839), with great sales that highlighted atrocities

Factors for the Movement's Strength

• Gained momentum due to global phenomena and cultural dynamics supports such as the British anti-slavery movement and the Second Great Awakening’s emergence.

• A mix of motivations brought different factions together; from religious zeal to scientific reasoning against the inefficiency of slavery.

• Key Players: Varied backgrounds, including many women and free blacks.

Abolitionist Challenges and Racism

• Acknowledgment that Northern racism limited the movement's appeal, with many people maintaining racial prejudices against blacks.

• Violence against abolitionists included mobs breaking up meetings and physical attacks, such as the murder of Elijah Lovejoy in 1837.

Political Struggles

• Abolitionists struggled to gain political traction and support from major political parties:

  • Established the Liberty Party in 1840, with minimal electoral success.

  • Some influential abolitionists like Garrison opposed participation in politics entirely.

Frederick Douglass's Role

• After his time in Britain, broke from Garrison and took a more political approach to abolition, editing various anti-slavery newspapers and later serving in government roles.

• Background: Born into slavery but able to gain education and become a prominent speaker and writer.

Disagreements and Schisms in Strategy

• Abolitionists differed on strategies – some preferred direct action while others sought moral persuasion to achieve emancipation.

• Particularly among Garrison's faction, divisions arose leading to a major schism within the AAS in 1840.

Southern Response to Abolitionism

Defense of Slavery

• Southerners largely rejected abolitionist appeals, crafting intellectual justifications for slavery, often portraying it as a positive good.

• Intense measures developed to suppress abolitionist sentiments and asked for stricter laws against anti-slavery speech.

• Response intensified after uprisings like Nat Turner's rebellion in 1831, with increasing fear among whites of slave insurrections.

Western Expansion and Political Tensions

The Missouri Compromise (1820)

• As new states joined, tensions arose over whether they would be slave or free states, highlighted by Missouri's application to join the Union.

• Resulting compromise: admission of Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while establishing a latitude line for slavery in the Louisiana Territory.

Texas Independence and the Mexican War

• American settlers in Texas (then part of Mexico) prompted conflict, leading to Texas's independence.

• Announced as a state in 1845, fears arose that its annexation would exacerbate sectional conflicts; manifest destiny supporters favored expansion across North America.

Wilmot Proviso (1846)

• Proposed legislation aimed at prohibiting slavery in any territories gained from Mexico after the war, engendering fierce sectional debates.

• Result: Though passed in the House, it failed in the Senate, highlighting the deep divides.

The 1850 Compromise

Clay's Proposals and the Congressional Debate

• Key components included admitting California as a free state, setting up territories in Utah and New Mexico with no slavery restrictions, and passing a stricter Fugitive Slave Act.

• The debate witnessed significant speeches from key political figures like Clay, Calhoun, and Webster.

Aftermath and Consequences

• The Compromise passed in split parts which were favored by various factions, but its ability to quell sectional tensions was questionable.

• The Fugitive Slave Act sparked significant resentment in the North and fierce conflicts regarding enforcement.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

• Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel had a profound impact on public opinion regarding slavery, further inflaming Northern sentiments against the institution.

Summary

• The abolitionist movement, fueled by various religious, moral, and economic concerns, evolved significantly by the 1830s, leading to unprecedented social and political responses across the nation.

• Despite notable impacts on Northern perspectives, the overarching societal and legislative frameworks remained fraught with challenges regarding race, power dynamics, and sectional interests.