One of the oldest traditions in humankind is the practice of slavery. It has been documented by anthropologists in practically every continent and civilization, going all the way back to the Neolithic era of human existence (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). The first substantial initiatives to outlaw forced labor and stop human trafficking in Europe began in the 18th century. In the United States, the practice of slavery has been common for many years and resulted in the establishment of major political and social movements in the country.
For a large portion of the 18th century, free labor provided by enslaved Africans allowed the British Empire to grow. Additionally, the practice spread to the English colonies in North America. Several of the original 13 British colonies abolished slavery before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). The enslavement of persons of African origin provided the vast labor force that the agriculturally oriented plantation economies of Southern colonies like Virginia and the Carolinas needed. Thus, for a long time, slavery allowed the citizens of the British colonies to enrich themselves by using free labor.
Many Americans in the New England states believed that slavery was a repugnant relic with no place in contemporary society. States such as New York and Massachusetts saw the emergence of the abolitionist movement (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). However, this was not the case with every state. Some of the movement’s leaders’ tactics were modeled after those of British activists who had successfully shifted public opinion against the slave trade and slavery.
The American Anti-Slavery Society was founded in 1833, the same year that Britain outlawed slavery. William Lloyd Garrison, a Boston-based writer and social reformer served as its leader (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). Garrison was the most devoted abolitionist advocate from the early 1830s to the end of the Civil War in 1865 (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). The Liberator, his publication, was well-known, and despite its restricted distribution, it was the subject of a heated public discussion. Its pages highlighted, for many, the brutal treatment of enslaved people on American territory and included first-person tales of the horrors of slavery in the South. Garrison was a personal friend and supporter of Frederick Douglass, a formerly enslaved person whose best-selling autobiography was published in 1845 (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.).
The group of abolitionists was divided into two groups, one supporting an armed conflict and the other in favor of the division of the state. Advocates who demanded the rapid abolition of slavery were on one side, including Garrison. It was believed that the North and South should split up if that were impossible. To prevent the economies of the Southern states from collapsing, moderates thought that slavery should be progressively abolished. On the other end of the spectrum were those like John Brown, who thought the quickest way to put an end to human slavery in the United States was by an armed insurrection of enslaved people in the South.
Like Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman was able to escape slavery and go on to become a well-known abolitionist. She participated actively in the Underground Railroad, a covert network of abolitionists and safe houses that assisted fugitives in escaping to freedom in the North. She helped Brown prepare the disastrous raid on a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in the late 1850s (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). Both proponents and opponents of slavery in America were concerned by the prospect of an armed uprising. Abraham Lincoln, a candidate for the Republican Party, won the 1860 presidential election (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). The Illinois senator opposed slavery but was hesitant to back the abolitionists. The American Civil War began when the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, 39 days after Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration. Slavery was officially abolished in December 1865, five years after the 13th Amendment was ratified and the war came to a conclusion.
An organized attempt was made to abolish slavery in the United States during the abolitionist movement. The early leaders of the movement, which lasted from around 1830 to 1870, imitated some of the strategies that British abolitionists had used in the 1830s to abolish slavery in Great Britain (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). Abolitionism evolved from a movement with religious roots to a divisive political issue that split most of the nation. Critics and supporters frequently got into violent, even fatal, altercations. Along with other elements, the movement contributed to the division and hostility that ultimately led to the Civil War and the abolition of slavery in America.
As the name suggests, an abolitionist was someone who worked to end slavery in the 19th century (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). More precisely, these people demanded the immediate and complete freedom of all enslaved people. The majority of the early abolitionists were white, religious Americans, but some of the movement’s most notable leaders were also Black people who had fled from slavery. In 1833, the American Anti-Slavery Society was established (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). It was led by Boston-based author and social reformer William Lloyd Garrison. Up to the end of the Civil War, Garrison was the most ardent supporter of abolition. In the 19th century, there was an effort to end slavery known as abolitionism (“Abolitionism movement,” n.d.). Black Americans who had escaped slavery were among the movement’s most illustrious leaders. The conflict and enmity that finally sparked the American Civil War were fueled in part by abolitionism. It changed from being a religious movement to becoming a contentious political issue that divided the country.
Abolitionism has played a vital role in combatting slavery in America. Although in the modern-day state, slavery is seen as unacceptable and is not allowed legally, there are some systemic issues with the way the political, legal, and other systems have been organized that lead to the minorities having lesser rights and opportunities as opposed to the majority of the American population. Moreover, although slavery has been abolished by most states, the search for cheap labor in developing nations can be compared to slavery. According to Mehdi (2017), “while economic growth has offered great benefits to both producer and consumer, it has also spurred a search for cheap labor” (para. 10). Many manufacturers from the United States have relocated their facilities to nations where wages are minuscule, and safety or labor regulations do not exist. Moreover, the issue of minimum wage in the United States has also become problematic, with people arguing that it is by far not enough to support a normal living.
Therefore, in the current era, the issue of slavery as a social justice problem has evolved into the trajectory of fair wages, fair treatment, and ensuring actual equality for all people. For example, there has been a lot of attention dedicated to the problem of systemic racism. According to Collins (2020), based on the Fund/UCLA Nationscape poll of more than 6,000 Americans conducted from May 28 to June 3, “the recent spate of police killings and well-documented police violence at largely peaceful protests — from students being dragged from a car in Atlanta, Georgia, to a 75-year-old man being pushed to the ground and left bleeding in Buffalo, New York” (para. 1). This appears to have caused Americans to have an increasingly negative view of police. These polls focused on the police enforcement injustices, and the goal was to determine whether there is a racial implication for arrests and murders of civilians. The number of Americans who have a negative opinion of the police increased from 18% in the May 21–27 survey to 31% in the May 28–June 3 survey, according to pollsters (Collins, 2020). Both numbers might be higher by 2.2 percentage points due to the polling’s 2.2 percentage point margin of error for both weeks.
The public’s opinion of law enforcement in America has started to more closely resemble that of black Americans, who already voiced substantial distrust against police before the recent protests and fatalities. This shows that there are still problems that affect black Americans more than their populations, despite the abolishment of slavery and other discriminatory practices. For instance, researchers interviewed 10,139 American adults about their opinions of police in a Pew Research Center study from April 20 to 26 — roughly a month before George Floyd was slain — and found that respondents’ responses varied greatly by ethnicity (Collins, 2020). Except for black Americans, most Americans, according to the research, have strong faith in the police. Fifty-six percent of black Americans said they had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the police, with a 1.5 percentage point margin of error, compared to the 78 percent of white Americans who answered the same (Collins, 2020). Therefore, more Americans now recognize the problems that continue to affect African-Americans face, and more attention is required to ensure equality for all.
In summary, this research has affected my view of abolitionism and my understanding of American history. It was especially interesting to research the opinions of abolitionists and the opposing party since, in the modern age, it is challenging to imagine that someone would support such a barbarian practice as slavery. However, in the historical context, it is understandable that some people in the country benefited financially and socially from the use of slave labor. Moreover, this research allowed me to see the issues that still affect the African-American population today, which are, for the most part, ignored by policymakers.
Slavery has been practiced often in the United States for many years, which has led to the emergence of significant political and social movements. In 1833, the year that slavery was abolished in Britain, the American Anti-Slavery Society was established. It was led by Boston-based author and social reformer William Lloyd Garrison. In the United States, abolitionist movements made an effort to end slavery in the 19th century. When the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, the American Civil War officially broke out. Five years after the 13th Amendment was enacted, in December 1865, slavery was formally abolished. The fight against slavery in America has largely been carried out by abolitionists. Conflict and hostility that led to the American Civil War were partially stoked by abolitionism.
References
Abolitionism movement. (n.d.).
Collins, S. (2020). The systemic racism black Americans face, explained in 9 charts. Vox.
Mehdi. A. (2017). The modern-day abolitionist movement. Forbes.