Abolitionism



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This picture acts as a timeline for the years of progress for the abolition of slavery. Watch as the years and the map show the history.

Information


Abolitionism, by definition, was a movement in western Europe and the Americas to end the slave trade and set slaves free. Abolitionism took popularity when the Tappan brothers and William Lloyd Garrison published an abolitionist journal called The Liberator, in 1831. The action was to denunciate slavery as morally evil, and to free the slaves. By calling a large propaganda campaign, they brought abolitionist literature into slave states and organized several antislavery societies. While in the beginning abolitionists were ridiculed, their actions prevailed and rapidly spread in the North.

While this marked the popular and spurring movement of abolitionism, the first American abolition society was that of The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, in 1775. These founders were Quakers who had strong objections to slavery. By 1838 new societies formed (ore than 1,350) such as the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. The Liberty party formed, founded in 1840, included several people such as James G. Birney, John Greenleaf Whittier, Wendell Phillips, and Frederick Douglass. Several other propaganda emerged such as
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. And eventually, the Emacipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln.

Abolitionism, during its movement, was criticized by several religious groups as "un-Christian." Early religious figures such as Augustine of Hippo, supported slavery and thus many religious groups felt slavery to be acceptable. However, many also opposed. Saint Patrick was one who opposed. Those who opposed used Biblical references against slavery and imposed Christian teachings to support their positions.

Slavery did not exist only in the Americas and in Britain. France had its share of slavery and antislavery quarrels as well. France had once received much of its trade and power from slavery in their sugar cane plantations. Slavery was abolished in February, 1794, at the Assembly of the First Republic. Under Napoleon's rule, however, slavery was re-established. Thus several rebellions erupted. And under the Second Republic in 1848-1852, the law for abolishing slavery once again was created. Working conditions in Africa, set by French colonies, was similar to that of slavery, however.





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Abolitionism