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.