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Abolitionism research paper
Abolition movement from 1830 to 1860
Abolitionist movement impacted by other social and economic changes in the U.S
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The northern areas of America may have been known as a retreat for free slaves; however, in early and mid 18th century slaves received treatment which could be compared to those enslaved in the southern regions of America.
In 1712, a group of slaves in Manhattan, New York set fire to a building owned by one of the slave’s masters. As whites responded to the fire the slaves killed them resulting in nine deaths and several injuries. (New York: The Revolt of 1712, n.d) The militia was called an all of the slaves were caught. Many were tried and executed.1 The governor at the time, Governor Robert Hunter included in his account of the event why he believed the slaves revolted. He stated in a letter the following, “when they (the slaves) resolved to revenge themselves, for hard usage they apprehended to have received from their master (for I can find no other cause).” (Colonial New York’s Governor Reports, n.d.)
Knowingly to the governor, it was evident the mistreatment endured by the slaves was to much to bear leaving no other options except to revolt. The significance of the event created stricter slave code
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in the area such as creating curfews and restricted the number of slaves gathered together in order to prevent future uprising. Severe punishment was allowed without repercussion as long as slaves did not lose life or limb. Most crimes committed by African Americans resulted in a death sentence. Additionally, slave owners were discouraged to free slaves by being required to pay fines of 200 pounds. The revolt of 1712 was suppresses; however, it may have been significant to future rebellious and conspiracy events in the Manhattan area. Fast forward to the year 1741, in the same city of Manhattan, where similar events involving fires take place alarming local whites and causing investigations into who was behind conspiracy.
Some sources refer to the revolt as a witch hunt. (Witchhunt in New York, n.d.) Examples of confessions came from a 16-year-old indentured girl who was caught for theft and from an individual being burned alive. (Urban, 1741) Over time, many African Americans and whites were hung, burned, executed, and exiled. It may have been a conspiracy of enslaved Africans, but why set fires only to let them burn out. The conspiracy may have been created by slave owners to prosecute slaves and those against slavery in order to create fear to somehow “balance” a city where 15-20% of the population was black. A populations of slaves large enough to assemble a successful rebellious
effort.
On September 9, 1739, as many as one hundred African and African American slaves were living within twenty miles of Charleston, South Carolina. This rebellious group of slaves joined forces to strike down white plantation and business owners in an attempt to march in numbers towards St. Augustine, Florida where the Spanish could hopefully grant their freedom. During the violent march toward Florida, the Stono Rebellion took the lives of more than sixty whites and thirty slaves. Ranking as South Carolina’s largest slave revolt in colonial America, Peter Charles Hoffer, a historian at the University of Georgia and author of Cry Liberty: The Great Stono River Slave Rebellion of 1739 tries to reinterpret the Stono Rebellion and challenges the reader to visualize what really went on to be a bloody uprising story in American History.
South Carolina was one of the only states in which the black slaves and abolitionists outnumbered their oppressors. Denmark Vesey’s slave revolt consisted of over nine-thousand armed slaves, free blacks, and abolitionists, that would have absolutely devastated society in South Carolina for slave owners, and could have quite possibly been a major step towards the abolishment of slavery in the United states. Robertson succeeded in describing the harsh conditions of slaves in pre-civil war Charleston, South Carolina. This book also helped me to understand the distinctions between the different groups. These groups including the black slaves, free blacks, extreme abolitionists, and the pro-slavery communities.
There was widespread fear in the aftermath of the rebellion, and white militias organized in retaliation against slaves. The state executed 56 slaves accused of being part of the rebellion. In the frenzy, many innocent enslaved people were punished. At least 100 blacks, and possibly up to 200, were murdered by militias and mobs. Across the South, state legislatures passed new laws prohibiting education of slaves and free blacks, restricting rights of assembly and other civil rights for free blacks, and requiring white ministers to be present at black worship services.
To understand the desperation of wanting to obtain freedom at any cost, it is necessary to take a look into what the conditions and lives were like of slaves. It is no secret that African-American slaves received cruel and inhumane treatment. Although she wrote of the horrific afflictions experienced by slaves, Linda Brent said, “No pen can give adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery." The life of a slave was never a satisfactory one, but it all depended on the plantation that one lived on and the mast...
The slave revolt that took place in Southampton, Virginia and this was when black slaves overthrew their white masters. This was done out of deep hatred to the way blacks have been treated at that point in American history. Nat Turner was supposedly the leader of the slave rebellion. He was said to be the mastermind, coordinator, and encourager behind the
Before the American Revolution, slavery existed in every one of the colonies. But by the last quarter of the 18th century, slavery was eventually abandoned in the North mainly because it was not as profitable as it was to the South (where it was becoming even more prevalent). Slavery was an extremely important element in America's economy because of the expanding tobacco and cotton plantations in the Southern states that were in need of more and more cheap labor. At one point America was a land of 113, 000 slaveholders controlling twenty million slaves.
It can be hard to fully understand the frustration and temptations that come with being a slave. To be treated so inhumane day in and day out by an entire race of people can drive one to the edge. There were some slaves who simply felt that it was their human right and obligation to fight back. There was once a slave revolt that was attempted in Richmond, Virginia in 1800. The revolt was coined and lead by a slave by the name of Gabriel Prosser. He was born a slave in the year 1776 in Henrico County, Virginia. Thomas H. Prosser was Gabriel’s master, as well as the master of Gabriel’s wife and two brothers. All of them aided Gabriel Prosser in his revolution.
From Douglass’s narrative, we can conclude that slavery brings out the worst in slave owners. Although one human should not treat another in such tortuous ways, slave owners’ actions towards their slaves deemed socially acceptable among their community. Keeping other human beings as property presumed natural. Slave owners retained wealth from this economic opportunity, resulting in the most valuable possession of all—power. Eventually, the authority they possessed over other human beings led to their abuse of power. Their addiction to dominate diminished all traces of their morality, and unfortunately, transformed them into tyrants. Moreover, the curse of slavery created immoral beings out of even the most virtuous men and women.
Slavery was the core of the North and South’s conflict. Slavery has existed in the New World since the seventeenth century prior to it being exclusive to race. During those times there were few social and political concerns about slavery. Initially, slaves were considered indentured servants who will eventually be set free after paying their debt(s) to the owner. In some cases, the owners were African with white servants. However, over time the slavery became exclusive to Africans and was no limited to a specific timeframe, but life. In addition, the treatment of slaves worsens from the Atlantic Slave trade to th...
The events that led to the enslavement of black people in the Chesapeake tobacco colonies were the catalysts for their beginning as the great majority of laborers in those colonies. These events were affected by the diminishing supply of white indentured servants, preexisting white racial biases, as well as the growing availability of Africans. But the catalyzing event in bringing it about was the rebellion by Nathaniel Bacon in 1676. Bacon was an English aristocrat who had recently moved to Virginia which actually was the cause of his rebellion. In hindsight, the rebellion was really just a disagreement over Indian policy between him and the colony’s royal governor William Berkeley.
In Query XIV from the “Notes on the State of Virginia”, which was part of our reading from an earlier lecture, Thomas Jefferson engages the question of “Why not retain and incorporate the blacks into the state” once they are freed. Put another way, the question becomes” why ex-slaves once freed must be colonized (e.g. kicked out of the country). The first reason he gives is: “Deep rooted prejudices entertained by the whites;” in other words, plain old racism. A second answer is more relevant to our reading of Frederick Douglass. Jefferson writes ominously about the “ten thousand recollections, by the blacks, of the injuries they have sustained.” The unstated suggestion is that “the blacks” once freed will exact a heavy (one might add, just) revenge
Slavery has been a part of human practices for centuries and dates back to the world’s ancient civilizations. In order for us to recognize modern day slavery we must take a look and understand slavery in the American south before the 1860’s, also known as antebellum slavery. Bouvier’s Law Dictionary defines a slave as, “a man who is by law deprived of his liberty for life, and becomes the property of another” (B.J.R, pg. 479). In the period of antebellum slavery, African Americans were enslaved on small farms, large plantations, in cities and towns, homes, out on fields, industries and transportation. By law, slaves were the perso...
This rebellion was believed to have been triggered by the Spanish who were offering freedom to any slave who escaped from the British colony, as seen in an anonymous primary source by a white official who wrote, “There was a Proclamation published at Augustine, in which the King of Spain (then at Peace with Great Britain) promised Protection and Freedom to all Negroes Slaves that would resort thither” (“North American Slave Revolts”). The rebellion started with just 20 men, but soon expanded to about 90 as more slaves joined in. The slaves were defeated after a week-long rebellion by a group of militiamen. The militiamen killed off many more slaves than the slaves had killed. Slaves who helped their masters after the revolt were rewarded with freedom or new clothes (“North American Slave Revolts”). Although the revolt seemed like it failed, once again, it actually succeeded in various ways. It instilled a fear among the slave owners because they were scared about another uprising. Because something like this had not happened before in America, the Whites knew something had to be done to prevent another major uprising. Ironically, the slaves rebelled for freedom, but it caused them to be restrained more than before. Immediately following the Stono Rebellion, the Negro Slave Codes of 1740 were
"Treatment of Slaves in the U.S." Boundless. Creative Commons Attribution, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .
Barrackpur on 29th March 1857. He attacked his senior officer Lieutenant Baugh and severely wounded him. Thus the resentment of the sepoys expressed itself just before the beginning of the revolt. The revolt of 1857 began on 10 May, 1857 with the mutiny of the Sepoys at Meerut (in present Uttar Pradesh) but soon it engulfed wide regions and the people. In fact the participation of the feudal lords, native rulers, etc. increased the intensity of the Revolt and it was no longer confined to the sepoys alone. At Lucknow, Begum Hazrat Mahal, the widow of Nawab Wazid Ali Shah raised the banner of rebellion. At Kanpur, Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the last Peshwa Baji Rao II, living in exile, revolted along with his lieutenant Tantia Topi. In Bihar, Raja Kunwar Singh, a zamindar of Arah became the oldest rebel leader aged 80 years. He provided greatest support to other rebel leaders. Rani Laxmibai, widow of Raja Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi, raised the banner of rebellion. She was the bravest leader of the rebellion who fought like a true heroine. Though she was killed by the British army, Sir Hugh Rose, the commander of the British army who defeated her called her the bravest and greatest of the rebel leaders. In Assam also the message of the Revolt of 1857 was carried by Maniram Dewan, an Assamese noble and ex-chief Executive or Dewan of the Assam Tea Company.