Abolition and the debate over slavery

Abolition and the debate over slavery

Americans opposed to slavery began to organize in the 1830s to promote abolition, or the complete end to slavery Some called for emancipation, or immediate freedom for all slaves

Religious- Quakers Americans who believed slavery contradicted the American value of equality Who were the abolitionists?

What rights should they have once they’re free? Fear of conflict between different races American Colonization Society: Founded Liberia on west coast of Africa- 12,000 African Americans settled there Differences amongst abolitionists

Speaking tours Newspapers: William L Garrison’s The Liberator American Anti-Slavery Society: 1833 wanted immediate emancipation and racial equality for African Americans, Garrison was President Split in 1840 Spreading the message

Grimke sisters: Angelina and Sarah, their parents were southern slaveholders, they moved to Philadelphia and tried to garner support from other southern women Women in abolition

Frederick Douglass: escaped slavery at 20, taught himself to read and write, great public speaker, published abolitionist newspaper, North Star Sojourner Truth: gave dramatic speeches Harriet Jacobs: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl African Americans in Abolition

Fear that free slaves would take northerners jobs House of Representatives refused to discuss thousands of antislavery petitions, though this was a violation of the 1st amendment Southerners believed slavery was vital to the economy Some whites argued slavery actually protected African Americans- They would “freeze or starve” in the North Opposition to abolition

Think back to the Mexican War- we gained 500,000 sq. miles. What’s the issue? Missouri Compromise only applied to the Louisiana Purchase. What about the Mexican Cession? The debate over slavery

Extend 36 30’ line to Pacific No slavery in territory whatsoever- Wilmot Proviso- This revealed growing sectionalism, when people favor the interests of one region over the country as a whole Voters in a territory decide whether to ban or allow slavery- Popular Sovereignty Possible solutions

Neither Democrats (Lewis Cass) or Whigs (Zachary Taylor) took clear position on slavery in the west Free-Soil Party supported Wilmot Proviso (no slavery in territory), Chose Martin Van Buren Whigs won election- Zachary Taylor became President (*remember when Polk fired him because he was gaining too much popularity in the Mexican War?) Election of 1848

Gold rush created population boom CA applied for admission into union Wanted to be a free state This would offset the balance of power in the senate California

Henry Clay- our “Great Pacificator” pacifies again 5 part plan: 1. CA enters as free state 2. In rest of Mexican Cession, status decided by popular sovereignty 3. Solved border dispute between Texas and New Mexico 4. End to slave trade in capital 5. More effective Fugitive Slave Law Compromise of 1850

John C. Calhoun: allowing CA admission as a free state would offset balance in the Senate and southern states would have to secede Daniel Webster: though he was personally opposed to slavery, he wanted to preserve the union and disapproved of any sectionalism Reactions to Compromise of 1850

Part of the Compromise of 1850 It became a federal crime to help runaway slaves Officials could arrest runaways in areas where slavery was illegal Slaveholders could take suspected fugitive slaves before commissioners and prove they were the owner through documents or witnesses Fugitive slave act

Anti-slavery novel written by abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe in response to the Fugitive Slave Act Helped fuel the abolitionist cause 2nd best-selling book of 19th century, after the Bible Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Abolition and the debate over slavery