Theme Of Abolitionism In The Civil War

During the 19th century, slavery expanded geographically and demographically in the South and Southwest of America, generating a wave of abolitionist movements. These events provoked a different response in the country’s society, since not everyone shared the same definition of slavery and freedom. These concepts started to get involved in almost every part of American sociopolitical life, creating differing points of view that would later conform the two sides in the Civil War of America: The Union in the north, and Confederacy in the south.

Between the sixteenth and nineteenth century, approximately 650,000 black Africans had been abducted from their homelands and brought to the United States. Many had been shipped across the Atlantic Ocean with the complicity of New England rum merchants and traders. But by the 1800s, the slave trade had stopped and slavery was illegal in the North. Most slaves in America by then had been born into their abject state. Yet slavery, centered in the South, dominated American life. Its cast its long shadow over national politics, local and congressional debates, and all the issues of territorial expansion within the United States. Abraham Lincoln had a Quote “ A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this Government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free…” (lincoln 21)

Throughout the time period between 1776 to 1852, the institution of slavery was a bustling business. However, some aspects of American society rejected slavery as an institution. These aspects that opposed slavery were the sense of growing inequality within the states, the rising abolitionist movement, and the growing religious bond that formed regardless of race. These causes of opposition would later lead to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Therefore, even though slavery was a widely accepted practice, the main causes of opposition were guilt about inequality, the abolitionist movement, and religious dogma.

During the late 1800’s there were turbulent times between the Northern and Southern States in America, one the vastest areas that was constantly being quarreled against one another is the usage of slavery. As slavery was the principal component within the Southern States, it provided the basis for many of the cash crops that were spread throughout. Whereas, many within the Northern States were firmly against the usage of slave and wanted to end this practice once and for all. This continuous incompatibility between slave states in the South and the free states in the North eventually ended up colliding into a Civil War. There were many aspects that led to this collision, such as; when America expanded into the western terrain after the Mexican-American

As Bennett states in his article, Lincoln was opposed to the extension of slavery not out of compassion for suffering black people, but out of devotion to the interests of white people. In his Charlston speech, Lincoln stated, “I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black race, . . . I will say there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality.” The speech itself shows that Lincoln was opposed to every aspect of the Emancipation Proclamation that he himself issued. Not only that, but Lincoln felt pressured to issue the Emancipation Proclamation by Radical Republicans who were pushing for it to be passed. Furthermore, if Lincoln had not issued the Proclamation, the congress would have done it. Lincoln did not want to give up his power as a president, and signed the document himself. In response to the proclamation, Bennett writes, Lincoln “freed” slaves where he had no power and left them in chains where he had power (page 137). In Lincoln and Colonization, by Richard Blackett, a historian of the abolition movement, The pressures of war forced his hand. As a result, the proclamation contained so many restrictions that observers questioned its effectiveness (page 20).

The South had a hold on congress which they used to keep slavery, at the expense of the Northern State’s rights. The South had an unfair control of the national government which they used to “defend slavery from all kind of threats” (McPherson 7). From 1789 to 1861, most of the presidents elected and all of the presidents that got re-elected were slaveholders. The majority of Supreme Court Justices and the Senate were southerners. The 3/5ths compromise allowed the Southern states to get about 30 more electoral votes and more Representatives than they deserved. When the South had the majority in the government, they weren’t interested in states’ rights, but in using their power to strengthen slavery and stop anti-slavery laws and petitions. They also infringed on freedom of speech, preventing antislavery literature from being sent into the South. The laws the South passed to protect slavery, such as the Fugitive Slave Act, infringed on the state sovereignty of the Northern states.

and the eve of war. For the longest time, presidents basically ignored the issue of slavery, avoiding “stirring the pot”. Even during the mid-1800’s, when slavery was becoming a more prominent issue, presidential candidates, such as Lewis Cass and Zachary Taylor of the 1848 election, did not take stands on the issue so that voters would not turn against them. However, it was during this election that the Free Soil Party emerged; this party consisted mostly of northerners and was the first political party to take a stand against slavery. It was important because it affected the presidential elections up to Lincoln and they would later make up part of the Republican Party.

In the history of humans, few movements have wielded as much transformative power or sparked such profound shifts in societal norms as the Abolitionist Movement. This relentless crusade, fueled by a collective yearning for freedom and equality, not only dismantled the shackles of slavery but also laid the groundwork for the civil rights battles that would follow. The Abolitionist Movement was a powerful social and political force in the 19th century, and played a pivotal role in the fight against slavery. Its influential leaders, groundbreaking events, and enduring legacy not only led to the abolition of slavery but also laid the foundation for subsequent civil rights movements, shaping America’s path towards equality and justice.

Throughout the history of mankind, slavery has existed in one form or another. Since the times of ancient civilizations to modern era subjugations, there have forces who feel strongly of its necessity and purpose, while others have devoted themselves to seeing the ideas and acts of slavery abolished. America is not an exception to the concept of slavery and during the nation’s early history, parties from both sides have been made famous for their beliefs in the continuation or the denouncement of slavery in the United States. To understand the contrasting views of pro-slavery advocates versus abolitionists in antebellum America, a comparison of the individual positions must be made to further understand the goals of each party.

Lincoln described the problem of ending slavery during the Civil war as “slippery” because the only time you can seize property from other nations is at war. Abolitionists wanted to take slaves—which were property—to the North so they could be free. However, Northerners had no authority to take slaves from the South because it wasn’t a nation. The federal government had no say in what state laws said unless an Amendment was passed, changing the Constitution, therefore nullifying state laws. Lincoln wanted to pass the 13th Amendment during the war because courts could decide that freed slaves would have to go back to slavery after it, making the Emancipation Proclamation have no

Another domestic affair is slavery and abolition, which was forcefully brought into politics. Northern evangelical opponents organized and began to bombard the nation and Congress pleas and petitions to rid the republic of this astounding mistake. People defending slavery responded with violence. South Carolina nullifiers, liked abolitionism to the tariff as part of a systematic campaign of Northern sectional oppression against the South. Andrew Jackson had bought and sold slave and used them to work his plantation. He perceived it as a threat to sectional harmony and his own national Democratic

The Civil War is something almost everyone has a general idea about. It is more than a huge part of America’s history and is the central event in America 's historical consciousness. This war, unlike the American Revolution which created the first American states, determined what kind of nation it would be. Though there are many reasons for the cause of the American Civil War, one of the main reasons is the different attitudes the North and the South had toward slavery. In January of 1863, The Emancipation Proclamation was

Although Abraham Lincoln wanted to free African American slaves and thought slavery was wrong he did not believe they should have the same social and political rights. The mid 1800s was a time that separated the black and white race immensely. The northern states and the southern states of the United States was divided on the issues of slavery among other reasons which led to the civil war. The civil war was the beginning of struggling African American slaves journey to freedom with the help of Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. Slavery in the northern states never reached the severity in most plantations that it did in the South, and it was common knowledge that being a slave in the South was, in a way, more harsh than the North, leading to a much larger number of slaves being held captive in southern states. Many people in the southern states used biblical passages to justify slavery and said that if slavery was abolished there would be unquestionable chaos and unemployment. Despite all of the people that did not think that slavery was wrong, one man stood and took the blunt of the judgement by the people named Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln viewed slavery as wrong, but knew that the nation’s founding fathers struggled with how to address the issue of slavery. There were several ideas on how abolish slavery during the 1800s, including colonization and the Emancipation Proclamation, but these ideas were not introduced into law because the general public

The Abolitionist movement during the Antebellum period, was a critical time in American history. The goal of this movement was to emancipate all slaves immediately, and end discrimination, as well as segregation. The brave men and women involved in this movement were called abolitionists and antislavery advocates. The antislavery advocates stood for freeing slaves gradually, and abolitionists wanted slavery gone immediately. No matter how fast, these people all wanted to spread opposition against slavery across the United States. Northern churches started liking this whole idea of abolishing slavery, which started conflict between the North and South. These arguments led up to the Civil War.

150). Clearly, Lincoln was an undecided politician who was merely looking for votes. He never had any intention of ending slavery, but was rather looking for his own personal gains, and by appealing to both ideologies; he gained the necessary support to elect his president. From the beginning of his presidency, at Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address, it is clear to see he was not the “Great Emancipator,” but a man trying to maintain the unity of the nation.