From Slavery to Freedom th 9 ed. Chapter 9 Abolitionism in Black and White Abolitionism in Black and White Abolitionism in Black and White Three events that heralded age of militant abolitionism: 1829 publication of David Walker’s Appeal 1831 publication of the inaugural issue of William Lloyd Garrison’s newspaper, The Liberator 1831 insurrection of Nat Turner 2 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Black Abolitionists Black Antislavery Societies In 1820s, 50 black-led antislavery societies operated in various cities In 1830, blacks held first national convention issuing denunciations of colonization and slavery After publication of The Liberator, black abolitionists aligned with Garrison Blacks participated in 1833 establishment of the American Anti-Slavery society Also worked at local and regional antislavery organizations 3 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Black Abolitionists Women Abolitionists Women in many cities formed their own antislavery organizations Addressed abolition and gender issues Many male abolitionists opposed female officeholders in prominent male-run societies Black Agents Blacks worked as agents and speakers for various societies Frederick Douglass 4 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sojourner Truth 5 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Black Abolitionists Newspapers African American newspapers aired debates and ideas of black community Freedom’s Journal – first black newspaper Most popular black abolitionist paper The North Star, founded by Frederick Douglass and Martin Delany in 1847 6 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mary Ann Shadd Cary 7 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Antislavery Agendas Antislavery Agendas Abolitionism closely connected to religious revivalism Argued that slavery contrary to Jesus’ teaching of universal brotherhood The Abolitionist Argument Abolitionists argued that slavery: Was against fundamental principles of American life Was economically unsound Threatened culture of and civilization of the South Threatened peace and safety of country 8 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Antislavery Agendas Colonization movement was strongest among slaveholders in Upper South White abolitionists and blacks realized colonization buttressed slavery The Crusade Throughout 1830s, abolitionist cause grew, moving beyond the borders of the Northeast Theodore Dwight Weld Oberlin College 9 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Antislavery Agendas The American Anti-Slavery Society Cofounded by Dwight Weld, Arthur Tappan, and William Lloyd Garrison in 1833 Differences between Garrison and Tappan arose Garrison did not think society pressed hard enough for abolition; critical of unwillingness to work for women’s equality New York faction under Tappan broke away and formed rival American Foreign Anti-Slavery Society focusing only on slavery issues 1840 splinter group, the Liberty Party, formed in attempt to bring abolition into electoral politics 10 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. William Lloyd Garrison 11 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Antislavery Agendas Black vs. White Abolitionists Black abolitionists angered by whites’ lack of support for true racial equality White abolitionists uncomfortable with black convention movement Black-White Cooperation White abolitionists important benefactors of nineteenth-century African American artists Friendships developed between black and white abolitionists 12 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Proslavery Backlash The Proslavery Argument Southerners promoted idea that slavery was a “positive good” Four main arguments of proslavery theorists Blacks biologically and mentally inferior, a different species of humanity Necessity of slave labor for rise of civilization and economic development of South Blacks destined by history to subordinate position in society Slavery divinely ordained 13 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Proslavery Backlash Defending the Institution Antislavery rhetoric prohibited in the South Willing to use force to keep abolitionists out of communities Proslavery leaders went to North to pursue runaway slaves, spread proslavery doctrine, and spy on abolitionists 14 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Proslavery Backlash Persecution and Violence Conflict between two sides led to harassment and violence Conflict over abolitionist views occurred in the North as well New York journalists warned of the threat of the abolitionist “amalgamation” Abolitionists frequently target of violence 1836 southern congressional leaders adopted a rule to table all petitions against slavery (“gag rule”) 15 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Proslavery Backlash Changing Attitudes Violence and gag rule backfired Late1840s northern whites began to see slavery as threat to liberty; 1850s political opponents of slavery began to win elections 16 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Black Response Black Counterarguments Frederick Douglass – “oneness of man” James McCune Smith Black Narratives Ex-slave writers were influential in refuting the notion that slaves were happy and content Black Literature Quality and quantity of black literature disproved charges of innate inferiority of blacks 17 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Underground Railroad Origins Started as network of antislavery activists General Thomas Boude refused to give mother of his slave Stephen Smith back to her mistress Town of Columbia, Pennsylvania decided to champion cause of fugitive slaves Number of slaves reaching freedom via the Underground Railroad unknown Intensified resentment of slaveholders toward the North 18 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Robert Duncanson, View of Cincinnati, Ohio 19 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Underground Railroad in the nineteenth century 20 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Underground Railroad Railroad Operations Most operations took place at night Slaves prepared by taking supplies from masters and often disguising themselves Early days, mostly on foot; as it grew, used covered wagons, closed carriages “Stations” were planned where fugitives could eat, rest, and hide; news went out of their pending arrival via the “grapevine telegraph” All Underground Railroad lines led to free states 21 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Underground Railroad Resources Abolitionists raised funds required for the substantial material resources necessary Had many active workers John Fairfield Black Conductors Underground Railroad relied on many black conductors 22 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman Using money from her work as a domestic servant, she left the North fourteen times to bring family and other slaves to freedom After fugitive slave laws passed, she preferred bringing slaves to Canada Jermain Loguen Minister and stationmaster of the Underground Railroad in Syracuse, New York Openly denounced the Fugitive Slave Law 23 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harriet Tubman 24 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Path to Civil War The Path to Civil War Expansion of slavery central to turmoil that led up to the Civil War Fugitive slaves also highly controversial The Compromise of 1850 Included stringent fugitive slave law, but admitted California into the Union as a free state Under new fugitive slave act, owners of escaped slaves intensified manhunts; many slaves returned, others increasingly feared capture 25 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Path to Civil War The Christiana Riot Effort to thwart capture of four runaway slaves ended in death of plantation owner who was looking for the slaves “Jerry Rescue” – mob of abolitionists rescued a fugitive slave who was apprehended in Syracuse The Sectional Truce Unravels Publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin 26 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Path to Civil War Passage of Kansas-Nebraska Act Repeals Missouri Compromise; allows territories to decide if they want to be a free or slave state North and South struggle for control of Kansas Galvanized leaders into political action; antislavery Republican Party is formed The Dred Scott Decision Slave who accompanied master to free state sued, claiming his residence on free soil had liberated him 27 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Path to Civil War Supreme Court held Scott was not a citizen and therefore could not bring suit in the courts Also held that Congress could not ban slavery in federal territories and that free blacks could never be citizens The Appeal of Force Black community began to see force as both necessary and inevitable 28 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Dred Scott Case 29 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Path to Civil War John Brown’s Raid Plan to attack slaveholders and liberate slaves Seized federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry; quickly overwhelmed by federal and state troops Raid terrified the South; moved toward military preparedness John Brown convicted and hung to death 30 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.