Slavery & AbolitionWomen & Reform

Examining the Life of the “Other” in the mid-1800’s

Abolitionist Speak Out

Charles G. Finney of the Second Great Awakening stated that slavery was a “great national sin”

Whites began publicly criticizing slavery and many early abolitionist advocated for blacks to be resettled in Africa… why?

William Llyod Garrison was one of the most radical white abolitionists of the time, and was a publisher of The Liberator.

Garrison’s most radical message was for emancipation– the immediate release of slaves without payment to owners.

Garrison was hated by whites, even those who supported abolition, and was followed mainly by African Americans.

David Walker & Frederick Douglass“The man who would not fight… ought to be kept with all of his children or family, in slavery, or in chains, to be butchered by his cruel enemies.”

Walker was a radical amongst the many free blacks who chose rather to join antislavery societies.

Born into slavery in 1817, Douglass was taught to read and write by his slave owners wife.

Douglass escaped in 1838 and eventually met Garrison, who hired him as a lecturer.

He broke from Garrison in 1847 and started his own antislavery paper, The North Star.

Life Under SlaveryBetween 1810 and 1830, the population of slaves doubled from 1.2 million to 2 million.

Slavery had changed since the 18th century. Prior to the 1800’s, slaves came from diverse backgrounds and regions of Africa and couldn’t speak English. Now slaves were primarily American born and fluent in English.

How did this change shape the slave culture and lead to fear among whites?

The growth of plantation societies also brought changes to the lives of slaves in the south.

Life

Und

er S

lave

ryRURAL SLAVERY

Large plantations Men, women, and

children worked from dawn until dusk.

Overseer whipped and watched slaves.

By 1850, most slaves worked on plantations or large farms with 10+ slaves.

Many others worked on small farms and worked besides their owners.

URBAN SLAVERY

The increase in farming caused a shortage in the mills and other industries.

Work in mills, lumber yards, and on ships opened to slaves.

Slaves with specialized skills were in demand.

Slaves could hire themselves out as artisans.

Urban slaves were better fed, had less oversight, and had more privileges.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

Nat Turner was born into slavery in 1800 in Southampton County, VA. He became a gifted preacher and believed God had chosen him to lead his people from bondage.

After an eclipse, Turner led a band of 80 slaves from plantation to plantation, killing 60 white men, women and children.

Turner was caught several weeks later and hanged.

What impact did his rebellion have on other slaves?

200 slaves were hanged and slaves found laws far more restrictive then before.

Slave Owners Defend SlaveryThe Turner rebellion led to two arguments; slavery needed to be emancipated to end tension, or restrictions needed to be tightened.

In Virginia, a debate ensued around emancipation, but the eastern slaveholders outnumbered the non-slaveholding westerners.

Slave codes were tightened further leading to the complete denial of voting rights, freedom to preach, right to own guns, assemble in public, purchase alcohol, or testify in court.

Some states even denied the right to read and write, work independently, or own property.

Slave owners also invented the happy slave myth, as well as using the bible to justify slavery. Furthermore, they used a gag rule to quiet the abolitionist petitions.

Anti-Slavery Ad

The “Happy Slave”

Women’s Role in the mid-1800’sWomen of the 19th century were part of a tradition known as the Cult of Domesticity.

Women were expected to raise the children and run the household.Women could not vote, sit on juries, own property, and even did not have guardianship of their kids.Women usually did not work outside the home, and if they did they would earn ½ the wages of a man.

Women’s education was generally geared towards learning how to sew, clean, cook, and rear children.

Despite these limitations, women of this era began to fight for rights through a variety of reform movements.

Women AbolitionistsSarah and Angelina Grimké were daughters of a SC slaveholder, yet spoke out against slavery.

Women abolitionist helped the cause by raising money, distributing literature, and collecting petitions for Congress.

Some men joined the women’s efforts, such as William Lloyd Garrison. But many denounced their efforts.

Temperance Movements

The temperance movement was an effort to prohibit the drinking of alcohol.

Alcoholism was becoming a serious problem and women felt the effects of drunk husbands who were not home to raise the kids and spent the earnings at the pubs.

By 1833, over 6,000 temperance societies were in the U.S. and they helped to reduce the overall consumption of alcohol.

Education for Women

Until the mid-1800’s, women did not have many educational opportunities. Many viewed women having as learned enough. “chemistry enough to keep the pot boiling, and geography enough to know the location of the different rooms in her house,”

Emma Willard opened the Troy Female Seminary in 1821 as the 1st academically rigorous schools for women.

Mary Lyon opened the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in 1837, expanding higher education to women.

Educational opportunities were even worse for African American women, but Prudence Crandall opened a school in Canterbury, CT for girls and allowed blacks to join. The school was forced closed by 1834 by the town.

Women and Health Reform

Elizabeth Blackwell became the 1st women to graduate from medical college and opened the NY Infirmary for Women and Children.

Surveys of women’s health were also performed, and it was found that the ratio of sick to healthy women was 3:1.

This was due to women barely bathing or exercising, and wearing restrictive clothing which made breathing difficult.

Seneca Falls Convention

In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Lucretia Mott held a women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls, NY.

Their agenda and detailed statement of grievances was modeled after the Declaration of Independence– “That all men and women are created equal.”

What was the one grievance that was not unanimously agreed on and why?

Women’s suffrage was not thought to be necessary by many at the convention. Since women did not understand the political process or feel they had a role in it, they felt that voting was not needed… yet.

Sojourner TruthIsabella Baumfree was a slave for the first 30yrs of her life. She became legally free and took on the Sojourner Truth (or Traveling Truth).

Since Truth supported abolition, many women’s rights movements disapproved of her. They thought she would take away from their fight.

She was most famous for her “Ain’t I a Women,” speech.

ConclusionHW: SpNotes Ch.8.4

Thursday Completed Outline Due

February 2nd Rough Rough draft due

Job Sheets!