Verified Document

History Of Abolitionism Essay

Abolitionists Although slavery is widely regarded as one of the greatest evils in human history today, this was not as obvious during the early days, when abolitionists of this evil were in the minority. Indeed, many considered slavery as one of the essential factors of the American economy, and particularly so in the South where cotton and other plantations provided economic well-being to many landowners and business people across the country. Increasingly, however, the abolitionist movement gained momentum, with a rising number of people believing that slavery was a gross violation of human rights for economic gain. Increasingly, many became abolitionists, including Douglass, Garrison, Lovejoy, and Brown. While some offered subtle resistance in the form of harboring fugitive slaves and boycotting the trade in goods supported by slavery, others offered more direct and violent opposition, often losing their lives in the process.

Both Garrison and Douglass offer strong arguments against slavery and for taking action against it. At the start of Garrison's "No Compromise with the Evil of Slavery," he uses the wording of the American Constitution as the basis for his arguments. He argues that slavery does not agree with the idea that "all men are created equal." The reason for this is that, often, slaves were treated as less than human. This argument is supported by Douglass, who was a former slave himself. Douglass uses not only the Constitution, but common human decency, the principles of liberty, and the Bible to support his arguments against slavery. Both men therefore use the idea of human rights,...

It does not say much for the status of democracy and public debate during the time. During this time, slavery was such a widely accepted practice, that only a few regarded it as the violation of rights that it was. One might argue that this is the reason why public debate and democracy around this particular issue enjoyed such little popularity at the time. On the other hand, it is also true that today, even rules and laws that are commonly accepted can be debated in public. Issues of democracy are today constantly debated and modified according to the desires of the majority, along with considerations of basic human rights. Indeed, public debate is a vital component of American culture today and one that continuously influences the law and Constitution to include the rights of all human beings in the country.
At the time of his execution, John Brown's actions were regarded as heroic by some and insane by others. The lawyer defending him at his trial even tried to prove him insane. One of the major reasons for this opinion, I think, is that Brown so openly and violently rebelled against slavery, knowing that he could suffer as a result. Another reason is that many people at the time believed in slavery as a reliable source of the country's economy. They saw nothing wrong with it. For these people, somebody protesting so violently against it must have seemed insane.…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Abolitionism Within the Context of American History,
Words: 342 Length: 1 Document Type: Essay

Abolitionism Within the context of American history, abolitionism refers to the movement to end slavery. Slavery persisted until 1864, when the Civil War ended and President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation was followed by a series of Constitutional Amendments, revealing the extensive impact the movement had on contemporary American life (Walters, 1984). Brown (2006) notes that the American abolitionist movement had an even broader and more global effect

History As Myth This-Based Myth Atreus Thyestes
Words: 1157 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

History As Myth This-based Myth Atreus Thyestes In paper I conversational I supposed a myth teacher a continuing education program geared library patrons aged 50+, a conversation actual essay. Below directions assignment: Briefly describe a historical event, a controversy, a world event, a current event, a military group action, a political event group, a religious group action, a similar phenomenon. Thyestes and Atreus: The great Civil War of Mycenae Once upon a time,

Abolitionism William Lloyd Garrison Is
Words: 780 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

Therefore, although he was known for his anti-slavery beliefs, he used the paper as a tool for expressing his views in this matter and for rallying support for the cause. In this sense, he adopted a non-violent means of manifestation. On the other hand, although he had a peaceful means of manifestation, his arguments stood for the complete and unequivocal freedom for slaves. Unlike other abolitionists who argued for either

African-American History Chicago Citation Robert Purvis Was
Words: 937 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

African-American History (Chicago Citation) Robert Purvis was an important member of the abolitionist community in the United States during the mid-1800's. Originally from South Carolina, Purvis was only 1/4 black, and although he was light skinned enough to pass for white, chose to present himself as a black man. Purvis was important for his association with a number of abolitionist causes including the founding of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Young Men's Antislavery

Atlantic Slave Trade History
Words: 871 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Describe the Neirsée incident. What upset France? What upset Britain? What was unfair about the capture of the slaves? Although Britain and France were formally attempting to dismantle the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the global economy had come to depend on it. The Neirsée incident of 1828 reveals the difficulties inherent in dismantling the slave trade due to the interconnectedness of the global economy. For several years prior to this incident, Britain

Transatlantic Slave Trade Graphic History Book
Words: 666 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Rafe Blaufarb and Liz Clarke’s Inhuman Traffick: The International Struggle against the Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Graphic History accomplishes what few authors or historians could do: tell the tale of one of the most perplexing and gruesome issues in history using the medium graphic non-fiction. There are clear reasons why the authors would have wanted to approach their subject in this unique way. One is simply that no other author or

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now