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Frederick Douglass and American Abolitionism – Daren Salter
Important terms in bold.
Abolitionism = the movement to abolish slavery in the United States.
Slavery was called “the peculiar institution” (peculiar = strange, different, odd). Even the slave
owners could see the paradox, the inconsistency between the ideals of freedom and the way
slavery took freedom away. Slavery wasn’t actually peculiar. Some form of slavery existed
throughout human history. Slavery in the US wasn’t really questioned, from the first slaves
that were brought to the US in the 1600s right up to the end of the Civil War. Slavery was
normal, and it was part of every element of society, even the religious element! Slavery was
dying out in the northern states, but all those states depended on the slave economy to get
cheap raw materials. Very few people questioned it.
However, a small group of activists start to question it. The idea of abolishing slavery was
pretty radical. There were two “waves” of abolitionism.
1. Gradualism (gradual = slow): Benjamin Franklin, a Quaker (kind of Christian who was
against slavery), wrote a petition (asking for something) to request that no more slaves be sent
into Florida. He was very humble and meek. It was dangerous to speak up against slavery too
strongly. Through the 18th and early 19th century, there are polite petitions, laws introduced,
that are defeated by defenders of slavery. Even people who were against slavery were afraid of
what would happen if slaves were free. What would happen to all the free blacks? Some
people wanted to send black people back to Africa.
2. Immediatism (immediate = right now): David Walker’s “Appeal” in 1829. Very direct and
angry. William Lloyd Garrison was a white newspaper writer in Boston, Massachusetts, who
wrote The Liberator. This newspaper was smuggled into the south. There were abolitionist
societies in every free state, but Boston was the most important because of Garrison and The
Liberator. Garrison originally believed in gradualism, but then he changed his mind. He
attacks gradualism, saying slavery is so wrong that it needs to be ended immediately. “I am in
earnest – I will not equivocate – I will not excuse – AND I WILL BE HEARD.”
Remember that abolitionists represent only about 1-2% of the population. This was a small
minority. There was a huge portion of people who said they were “anti-slavery.” People in the
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north (and some in the south who were afraid to say anything) who would say “I think slavery
is a problem, and we ought to limit slavery’s expansion.” Most people who said they were antislavery were saying they didn’t want it to expand, but it could stay in the places it already was.
Abolitionism Tactics:

Moral suasion (persuasion) – “An appeal to the heart.” Frederick Douglass appeals to
people’s consciences and emotions. Not just logical, but emotional. Pathos. Describing
in detail how horrible slavery is.

Local/grassroots organizing (Anti-slavery societies). Grass roots = from the ground up.
Very different from polite petitions. A social movement of the common people.

Direct action (the Underground Railroad). This was a secret route for runaway slaves –
to help them escape from the south and go up to the north. It wasn’t a real railroad,
and it wasn’t underground, but it was a group of “safe houses” and “conductors” to
provide food, shelter, information, contacts. This was very dangerous illegal activity,
both black and white people did this. Harriet Tubman was the most famous conductor.
She was called “the Moses of her people.” She escaped slavery herself, then she went
back 13 times to the slave states to help other slaves escape. She was incredibly
courageous!

Propaganda (lecture tours, songs, newspapers, pamphlets, books, photographs, etc.)
Frederick Douglass’ narrative was a form of propaganda. More people were reading,
more newspapers and books were being printed and circulated. The abolitionist
movement was the first movement to use mass media – songs, other newspapers (there
were dozens in addition to The Liberator), photographs, etc. Diagrams of slave ships
were used as propaganda to shock people. Photos of people with scars on their backs.
This would show the truth in a very direct way. Photography was a new thing, and it
was powerful. “Song of the Abolitionist” with lyrics by Garrison. There were entire
songbooks, too. Abolitionists would sing songs together, Trading cards, like one of
Sojourner Truth, people would pass them around and trade them. Buttons you could
wear of a white hand and a black hand clasped together.

Fugitive slave narratives (most famous example is Frederick Douglass) – graphic
portrayals of brutality, slaves gain consciousness (like when Frederick realizes the
power of reading), the turning point, the hero’s journey, the effect of slavery on whites,
the separation of families, Christian hypocrisy, and “written by him/herself” (very
important part of the title because it shows that slaves were intelligent people) were all
important elements.
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Uncle Tom’s Cabin or Life Among the Lowly written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. She used
the same themes from slave narratives. It tells the story of Eliza, a slave woman who
escapes from slavery. It was very sentimental, full of emotion. It sold millions of copies.
It was the best selling book in the US. 1852.
Conflicts within the Abolitionist movement:

Men v. Women. Many women worked hard to abolish slavery. They stepped out of
their roles in the home. But there were a lot of men saying that women were getting too
much power.

Blacks v Whites. Garrison and Douglass were friends, but eventually they had tension.
Garrison thought he was the most important abolitionist.

Politics v. Protest. Should they try changing laws, or should we be out in the street
protesting, helping runaway slaves? Which is better? We see this today in the Black
Lives Matter movement?

Pacifism v. Violence. Garrison was a pacifist (did not believe in violence). Other
abolitionists believed that slavery was a violent crime and the only way (if necessary) to
fight slavery is with violence. Douglass believed this. He fought back with Covey and
beat him up, and that is what made him feel he could be free. John Brown was the most
famous abolitionist who was violent. In 1859 he tried to get slaves to revolt, but he was
captured and executed. The Civil War ended slavery – it was only through fighting that
slavery was actually abolished in the end.
We also need to think of the actions of the slaves (running away, revolting, slowing down
work), and of the Civil War (see the article in the handout).