Slavery and Abolition

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Abolitionists• By the 1820s more than 100

antislavery societies were advocating for resettlement of blacks in Africa—based on the belief that African Americans were an inferior race that could not coexist with white society.

• Many Africans saw America as their home

• Supporters of Abolition– Charles G. Finney,-white preacher– William Lloyd Garrison-white

abolitionist published The Liberator– David Walker-Free black, wrote Appeal

to the Colored Citizens of the World, called for slaves to fight for freedom

Anti-Slavery Society

• Free black in the south worked as day laborers

• Blacks in the North found only the lowest paying jobs

• Frederick Douglass- became a lecturer of the American Anti-Slavery Society, wrote The North Star (newspaper)

Life Under Slavery• Number of slaves between 1810 and

1830, grew from from 1.2 million to roughly 2 million.

• Many could speak English because they were born here

• Slave labor could include– Field hands-work in the fields– Domestic workers-mostly women, took

care of children and the house– Craft workers-bricklayers, blacksmith,

carpentry etc.– Some slave owners hired out slaves to

work in the factories, or mines and would receive pay for slave working.

Forms of Protest• Some slaves would

sabotage crops so they would grow poorly,

• Others would hide the tools

• Rebellions• Nat Turners Rebellion in

Virginia-with nearly 80 followers, attacked four plantations and killed almost 60 white inhabitants he was captured and hung, in retaliation while plantation owners killed 200 blacks

Underground Railroad(click on the link above to do the multimedia game underground railroad)

• A system designed to help slaves escape to freedom in Canada, the North, even Mexico, Caribbean– Organized by abolitionists– Railroad terminology served as code

words• Slaves were “passengers” guides were

“conductors” safe houses were “stations”

• Harriet Tubman-escaped slave to returned time and time again to lead hundreds of runaway slaves to freedom

Map of Underground Railroad

• Click on the link above to see routes of underground railroad..– Answer the questions on the webpage as a

class and then check your answers. There is a link on the bottom of the website that says “check your answers”

Abolition Meets Opposition• Slave codes passed– Forbid enslaved blacks from preaching “gospel”

unless slaveholders present– Forbid free blacks from voting– In some states, free blacks lost the right to own guns,

purchase alcohol, assemble in public, and testify in court.

– Some states forbid property ownership, learning to read and write, or practice certain craftsmanship (blacksmith etc.)

• D.C. Gag Rule issued-forbidding or limiting the legislature of debating the issue of slavery