Black Abolitionism Essay

The character and role of black abolition in the 1800s was monumental and played an important role in the history of the United States with the eradication of slavery. Leading up to the Civil War, abolitionism created one of the fist times in the United States that white and blacks worked together to achieve the same goal, the immediate end of slavery. Although several other factors played a role in the eradication of slavery, the bravery and determination of the black abolitionists was by far one of the most powerful. During and following the Revolutionary War, slaves petitioned both on a state and national level to put an end to slave trade and to achieve emancipation. Through this, anti-slavery societies began to form within the black community, and eventually in white communities as well. Three particular events sparked this age of abolitionism. These events included Walker’s appeal, William Lloyd Garrison’s The Liberator, and Nat Turner’s revolt. In 1829, David Walker, a free black man, wrote a pamphlet calling for the violent rebellion of slaves against their masters. Walker’s appeal is said to be on of the most “notorious documents in American history,” invoking on the Declaration of Independence in his call to blacks to rise up (Higginbotham & Franklin, 185). In contrast, in 1831, Nat Turner’s revolt used physical assault and violence to help achieve a more radical approach to abolitionism. William Lloyd Garrison, a white man who dedicated his life to ending slavery, published the first issue of his anti-slavery newspaper, The Liberator, in January of 1831. Like David Walker, Garrison used the Declaration of Independence and argued that black people were just as much entitled to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as white people were. In Garrison’s approach to abolition in a non-violent but militant way, Garrison is quoted saying, “I do not wish to think, to speak, or write, with moderation…. I am in earnest – I will not equivocate – I will not excuse – I will not retreat a single inch – AND I WILL BE HEARD” (Higginbotham & Franklin, 185). When black abolitionists saw Garrison’s newspaper, they eagerly joined Garrison in the fight for abolitionism. Many white abolitionists would use blacks as a method of furthering their cause when presenting in front of skeptical audiences. These black agents would stand in front of an audience and tell their testimony of their lives as slaves, pulling on the heartstrings of the audience members. An example of this is seen in the PBS documentary The Abolitionists. When runaway slave, Fredrick Douglas, attended a speech of Garrison’s, Douglas was called to stage to share his story. From here, Douglas and Garrison became good friends, traveling together to speak to large audiences. Douglas, being a runaway slave, put his life in danger. By speaking in public, he risked being caught, but he knew that his testimony could help persuade many. Although some black and white abolitionists shared great friendships, black abolitionism also had its differences from white abolitionism. …show more content…
Throughout the abolitionist movement, conflict arose between black and white abolitionists. The black abolitionists didn’t feel they were being treated as equals to white abolitionists. As Higginbotham and Franklin point out in the text, “White abolitionists, blacks charged, were at best paternalistic and at worst openly discriminatory, explicitly denying free blacks their civil rights in northern communities. Supporting abolitionism did not necessarily mean supporting racial equality” (Higginbotham & Franklin, 193). Many white abolitionists became so focused on ending slavery in the south, that they really didn’t care about the injustice in the north. Debate within the black abolitionist communities arouse as well. The idea of separate black convention movement …show more content…
During the Second Great Awakening, abolitionists used the Bible as a way to defend their cause for anti-slavery. Charles Grandison Finney became one of the most central figures during this time. Many people joined Finney’s Holy Band. “Finney and his followers insisted that slavery was contrary to the teachings of Christianity, since Jesus taught universal brotherhood” (Higginbotham & Franklin, 190). Supporters of the Second Great Awakening argued that all men were created in the image of God, and for that reason, slavery was an evil that needed to be