Dbq Essay On The Abolition Of Slavery

The abolition of slavery started in 1777. In the North the abolition of slavery was the first to start. But, in the South it started during the 1800’s. The Northern states gave blacks some freedom, unlike the Southern states. The national population was 31,000,000 and four and one-half, were African American. Free african males had some limits with their freedom. There were many political, social, or economic restrictions placed on the freedom of free blacks in the North, but the three most important are, Political and Judicial Rights, Social Freedom, and Economic.
First of all, political and judicial rights in the North allowed some africans to vote but some had restrictions. From the source of, North of Slavery, University of Chicago Press, 1961, the region that allowed more black males to vote was New England. Those states were Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Massachusetts was the only state that allowed black males to do jury duty. The Mid-Atlantic

and the Midwest were the two regions in the North that didn’t let black males to vote. But, not only did they not allow some black males to vote, but they didn’t let women of any race to vote. “ A $250 requirement kept most black New Yorkers from voting. For example of 11,000 blacks in New York City in 1855, 100 could vote”, (Doc A). This document helps answers the mini-Q question because it shows how blacks had some freedom in the North.
Another restriction blacks had in the north was social freedom, in Charles Mackay, Life and Liberty in America, Sketches of a Tour in the United states and Canada in 1857-1858 (Doc B), Charles was an English visitor to America and he wrote about his travels, he mentions the prevalent feeling , if not the language of the free North.

In his paragraph he writes, “ We shall not make the black man a slave; we shall not buy him nor sell him; but we shall not associate with him.”, (Doc B). This shows that they didn’t see black males as slaves and aren’t allow to buy or sell them. They allow black males to live a free life and to pay taxes and perform their duties. When charles mentions “ We” he means the white americans. The racial attitudes I can infer when reading his paragraph is that the white americans don’t want to dine nor talk to black males. They won’t allow them to do jury duty. This document shows that there were still racial issues even though slaves in the north were

free.
A final important restriction was education and jobs. A young man named Charles Andrews writes a graduation speech, he is the first African American in his class of his New York City free school in 1819. In his speech Charles feels discouraged about his future because he feels weak around white Americans. In his speech he says, “ Why should I strive hard and acquire all the constituents of a man if prevailing genius of the land admit me not as such, or but in an inferior degree!”, (Doc C). This quote in his speech shows that even though he works hard, people still see him as nothing. He gives examples about how no one would employ him; white boys won't work with him and that no one would want to be an in office room with him. I can argue that blacks in the north weren't treated fair even though they were freed from slavery. But yet they can still get education and some jobs that suit them.
In conclusion, the political, social, and economic role on the blacks in the north show that they didn't have as much freedom. They were able to be free but not work with any white men. They were allowed to be educated, but wonder about what their future will be. The abolition of slavery was just a start of a new beginning, it wasn't perfect but yet some way okay for the north blacks. There were still many racial issues and there's still some today.