ABOLITION OF SLAVERY

By: Collin Sheppard, Aaron Wells, Tucker Rubin, Michael Wood, Ian V

A Divided Nation

A Divided Nation

A Divided Nation

During the 1800’s till the civil war the United States was split on their belief of either allowing slavery or opposing it.

There were many different things that contributed to this schism.

A main cause of this separation is the expansion of the U.S. westward.

Cotton Gin-1793 Eli Whitney's invention of the

cotton gin increased the need for slaves in the south in order to harvest the cotton.

This is where the tension starts because of the high demand for slaves in the south while northerners opposed slavery.

Without the cotton gin there wouldn’t have been an increased need for slaves and abolitionist movements wouldn’t have gotten started.

Missouri Compromise-1820

Stated that Missouri would be admitted as a slave state.

Any future state above Missouri would be admitted as a free state.

Southerners were afraid that free states would outnumber slave states.

Nat Turner’s Slave Rebellion-1831

This was the first major slave uprising.

It shows that the slaves are tired of being abused.

White Southerners killed many slaves as a result, angering the North

Sparks fighting as an answer to slavery.

Harriet Tubman-1849 After her escape she

contributed to helping other slaves escape by using the Underground Railroad.

This outraged the South because they felt that their property was being stolen.

North and South were divided about was should be done.

Compromise of 1850 Admitted California as

a free slate. Granted popular

sovereignty to Utah and New Mexico, where the people were able to decide whether they were to be a slave or free state.

North was afraid of more states allowing slavery.

Fugitive Slave Law-1850 Any African American

that had escaped from the South and now resides in the North must be returned to their plantation in the South.

Slaves were no longer safe in the North.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin-1852

Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes her book.

This encourages northern abolition of slaver because it shows how brutaly the South treat their slaves.

Kansas Nebraska Act-1854

Gives popular sovereignty to Kansas and Nebraska.

Causes huge debates on whether they should be slave or free which eventually leads to fighting leaving many dead.

This is why Kansas was nick-named bleeding Kansas.

Harpers Ferry-1859

John Brown led 21 followers in a revolt on Harpers Ferry, a federal building, which was considered an act of war.

Prevention

Although the war was inevitable the increased expansion westward sparked most of the debates.

New states were being added to the United States and the North and South became heated over where they should be free or slave.

Without any expansion the war probably would have occurred later than it did.

Our Resolution 1) Slowly outlaw slavery so the South’s economy

could become independent of slaves and it wouldn’t ruin their economy.

2) Taxes on existing slaves would help to decrease the overall number of them and hopefully get rid of them.

3) Once majority of the South’s economy no longer relied on slavery, then make slavery illegal

4) Taxes on crops could be lowered so southern plantations could profit without the use of slaves.

Jobs for Plantation Owners Without slaves, plantation owners wouldn’t be

able to grow their crops. Before outlawing slavery we would put efforts

into finding innovations relating to crops. These would reduce the need for slaves because

a small number of hired laborers would be able to produce as much as many slaves.

Making slavery illegal would create jobs for those making the machinery as well as field workers.

Not needing slaves and increasing jobs in the south would result in a win-win situation.

In Today’s World If slavery existed in

America today, the South: Would likely have still have

a completely agricultural-based economy

Not have ever been urbanized

Extreme economic diversity (large wealth difference between poor and rich)

Literature, inventions, and historic happenings created by blacks would never have existed

• In some countries today slavery is still legal.

• Most of the countries are small third world countries that do not have the technology to survive without slavery.

• Without more modern technology we also wouldn’t be able to produce the demand for crops without slaves.

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