Shaping the Struggle for Freedom:
Abolitionist Efforts to End Slavery
"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" and "all men are created equal" are well known phrases from the Declaration of Independence. These examples of revolutionary language not only represent ideals on which the United States was founded, but also one of its greatest contradictions. For nearly 80 years the United States lived a double life of sorts. Promising equality to most citizens on one hand, and allowing the institution of slavery on the other. The unjust practices of slavery were not only allowed during the 1800's, but flourished. Fugitive slave laws, the cotton gin, and the expansion slavery into new states provide evidence that slavery was alive and well in the 1800's. Considering the level to which slavery was part of society, a force of significant strength was needed to remove slavery from the fabric of American society. That force would be the Abolition Movement. The leaders, literature and ideas of the Abolition Movement possessed a spirit and strength necessary to bring the injustices of slavery to the forefront of the American conscience.
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Abolitionism featured strong leaders whose views and experiences both fueled and even threatened the movement. William Lloyd Garrison was a white abolitionist from New England who in many ways carried the flag of the early anti-slavery movement. Garrison worked tirelessly to publish the anti-slavery newspaper called The Liberator and to create the first anti-slavery societies. While Garison was celebrated in Abolitionist and Quaker circles for his role in the movement, he was also vilified by supporters of slavery. He was attacked, jailed and fined for his outspoken stances. Garrison made another key contribution to the Abolition Movement. He acted as a mentor to a runaway slave from Maryland who would become one of the most influential abolitionists - Frederick Douglass. As an escaped slave, Douglass brought a new perspective on slavery to many. Through his spell-binding speeches and his autobiography, the reality of slavery was delivered to the country. As great as Douglass and Garrison's friendship was, it was torn apart by a difference of opinion about the United States Constitution. Garrison regarded the Constitution as a pro-slavery document that stood in the way of equality whereas Douglass viewed the Constitution as an avenue to freedom and equality. In their agreements and disagreements Douglass and Garrison are great examples of the strength and passion that abolitionist leaders possessed and used in the anti-slavery movement.
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Literature played a vital role in the Abolition Movement. Newspapers, novels, and slave narratives published by abolitionists began to shift American views on slavery. Garrison's Liberator newspaper was unapologetic in its advocacy to end slavery. "I will be as harsh as truth and uncompromising as justice...I will not retreat a single inch AND I WILL BE HEARD." These famous lines tell of how Garrison planned on using the Liberator as an aggressive voice against slavery. Frederick Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass told of his life in, and escape from, slavery. He exposed readers to a first hand account of a boy who only met his mother four or five times, a man who was nearly beaten to death by his owner, and a soul reborn in escaping from slavery. Because of Douglass's personal experience with slavery readers learned of the horrors of slavery in an authentic way that many had not yet been exposed to. When written in 1854, copies of Uncle Tom's Cabin flew off the shelves. The novel sold 300,000 copies and its author Harriet Beecher Stowe gained admirers for her unflinching portrayal of slavery, as well as harsh critics for writing about slavery yet never actually seeing a plantation. Uncle Tom's Cabin told the emotional story of a slave named Uncle Tom who endured the daily rigors of enslavement only to be murdered by his owner. The book captivated audiences as readers were emotionally invested in the main character and came to view the book, and slavery, as a story of good versus evil. The strength of abolitionist literature became evident as copies sold and many more Americans viewed slavery as being antithetical to the ideals of the United States. |
The Abolition Movement did not look far for political rationale for ending slavery. The hallowed words of the Declaration of Independence were commonly evoked by Abolitionists making their case of the end of slavery. In David Walker's Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, regular comparisons were made between the colonial struggle for freedom against Britain and the struggle of enslaved peoples against their owners. Walker argued that if the colonies were right to rebel against Britain then slaves would be more than justified in bringing slavery down through revolts against slave owners. Frederick Douglass also evoked the Declaration of Independence in his speech "The Meaning of July 4th to the Negro." Douglass used this anniversary of the Declaration of Independence as a window to point out the paradox of celebrating liberty while slavery still existed. By using this hallmark of American freedom, abolitionists made their case that if the Declaration of Independence really stood for freedom, then the words should apply to all Americans. |
The Abolition Movement featured many facets that spoke to the spirit and strength necessary to end slavery. Leadership, literature, and ideas were elements that demonstrated the essence the Abolition Movement. These features were essential to the movement's success. Ignorant to the plights of those enslaved on plantations, most Americans were not concerned with ending slavery. Through the efforts of Douglass, the words of Stowe, and the evocation of the Declaration of Independence thousands began to question the legality and morality of slavery. Change did not come quickly nor without struggle, but the seeds planted by the Abolition Movement eventually grew into freedom and a sustained fight for equality.
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Works Cited
Appleby, Joyce, et al. Discovering Our Past: A History of the United States Early Years.
New York: McGraw-Hill, 2014.
Landau, Elaine. The Abolitionist Movement. New York:
Children's Press, 2014.
"Frederick Douglass, Abolitionism, Slave Narrative's and Uncle Tom's Cabin." Africans in America:
WBGH PBS Online, n.d. Web. 09 March 2015.
New York: McGraw-Hill, 2014.
Landau, Elaine. The Abolitionist Movement. New York:
Children's Press, 2014.
"Frederick Douglass, Abolitionism, Slave Narrative's and Uncle Tom's Cabin." Africans in America:
WBGH PBS Online, n.d. Web. 09 March 2015.