Abolitionists Arguments
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Even though the war against slavery started soon after the invention of the slave trade, the nineteenth century marked enhanced war against the exercise. There was unity between the white and black abolitionists pushing for biracial togetherness to end slavery. Most of the arguments and appeals were effective as they led to unity among the enslaved people to push for their rights, eventually leading to the radical reconstruction. Additionally, abolitionists made it hard to ignore their push for change, thereby heightening the rift as they threatened to destroy the unity of the nation leading to a constitutional convention that allowed the representation of the blacks in both political and economic matters.
Nineteenth-century saw the formation of several antislavery societies led by various people and groups, especially religious activists. Notably, the war against slavery had started in Britain before moving to the USA. Therefore, most of the campaigns against slavery used tactics mimicked from the British abolitionist, making it a war that started with religious connection but later spread to become a political issue. The turn into a political issue saw the war dividing the nation into two, the supporters and the critics, characterized by the northern or southern region (Walker, 44). The southern region consisted of a large population of African Americans, and hence the war was supported by most while the northern was occupied by the whites and most wanted the blacks to remain as their servants. Some abolitionists argued that all whites should set free their slaves, after which they would be transported back to Africa. Additionally, religious abolitionists insisted that slavery was against their morals as they treated blacks as lesser humans, while political abolitionists insisted that slavery was against the liberty revolution that the nation hoped to attain.
In the plea for the end of slavery, the abolitionist made several arguments and appeals while trying to convince the American society to support the efforts of ensuring a democratic nation with zero enslaved people. Christian based argument was most effective as it was adopted and supported by many. Most of the movements advocating for the demolition of slavery started with a religious foundation where the abolitionists based their arguments on the ten commandments and the Bible. They argued that Bible required humans to treat each other with love and kindness. Therefore, enslaving the black was going against the will of God as every human was created in his image and likeness (Genesis 1: 26-27) hence deserved equal treatment despite their race (Equiano, 63). Evangelical protestants, including those from the northern region, preached against slavery, indicating that it was a national sin that every American should stand against to ensure its eradication. Due to the support from the believers, the push to end slavery became more radical, gaining national momentum leading to the formation of several non-violent resistance movements. The argument was effective due to the people’s commitment to the religious faith, which saw the participation of whites who formed the Quakers. Therefore, religion as a tool of fighting slavery was effective in its language, leadership and method.
Additionally, a humanitarian appeal was among the most effective tools utilized by the abolitionists in the war against the slavery trade. Hundreds of enslaved people died during their transportation and while working as servants. This indicates that becoming a slave deprived one of the entire rights as they were treated as objects rather than people (Walker, 50). As evident, their only purpose was to serve their masters, who would even sell them at their will. Additionally, slavery was brutalized as the masters expected the enslaved people to perform more than humans by having long working hours and very short rests. Therefore, the abolitionists ensured to gain support from the people by narrating the experience slaves were undergoing.
Additionally, some such as Frederick Douglass are seen narrating their personal experiences in the hands of slaves’ handlers. Like most other slaves, he claims he was never certain who his father was, and he only remembers spending time with his mother on very rare occasions. He says the life of those slaves who worked on the plantation was the hardest as he found slavery in the towns next to freedom when he realized the importance of education. His pursuit of knowledge allowed him to escape to freedom which later pushed his urge to become an abolitionist. Therefore, the abolitionist argued against slavery required all those “Who are not too deceitful, abject, and servile to resist the cruelties and murders inflicted upon us by the white slaveholders, our enemies by nature” (Walker, 2).
Consequently, an economic argument was also important in the war against slavery. Most people, especially those who defended slavery, argued that the complete elimination of the slaves in the economic structure of the USA would lead to its collapse. Most believed that enslaved people had a great impact on the nation’s economic status as they did most of the labor, especially in plantations. Plantations such as cotton farms generated much income for the nation, and hence most felt that the slaves had a role to play in the nation’s wellbeing. Additionally, most whites were not willing to let go of the slaves as they offered cheap labor (Walker, 63). Others argued that freeing the enslaved people would contribute to widespread unemployment leading to chaos in the nation. The abolitionist gained support from the people by arguing against these beliefs. They educated the Americans on the importance of letting enslaved people work as paid employees and its economic advantage. Additionally, they argued that the importance of life was not to be compared to the contribution one had on the economy. Hence, maintaining morals and ensuring equality among all races was a necessity for the growth of the USA.
Opposition to slavery started way in the 16th century, even though it faced many challenges. Later there was an early effort to stop slavery by freeing the slaves back to Africa by a society Known as American Colonization. Therefore, David Walker and Olaudah Equiano believed the need to take up every measure to lead to the end of slavery. Even though the push led to chaos and violence, they argued that this was understandable as “hey who believe that God is a God of justice, will believe that SLAVERY is the principal cause” (Walker,7). Additionally, abolitionists such as David called upon the slaves to fight for their rights and freedom by circulating messages spread through copies inserted in the enslaved people’s pockets. He motivated t hem to fight for freedom claiming that they had more rights to the land than the whites as most of what had been achieved was due to their effort and sacrifices. Due to such violent language, he gained a lot of support from the enslaved people who formed resistance groups, but this had a bad ending as he was found dead, believed to have been poisoned. Despite the unity of the slaves to fight for their freedom, the abolitionist movement slowly ceased and dissolved after the Thirteenth and Fifteenth Amendments (Equiano, 203). The movements had served their purpose since the amendments extended rights to the enslaved people, such as voting rights and the right to citizenship.
The analysis of the most important arguments on the war to end slavery helps determine the role played by each abolitionist. Additionally, it helps determine the impact of each argument on the success achieved. This helps determine the best channels that can be used to create a connection with others to communicate successively. Sharing personal experiences is the most effective as people relate with the narrator emotionally despite conveying the message. Additionally, religion can be used as a tool to fight for equality among people as it outlines laws that govern those who believe in it.
The fight against slavery was a major stride towards the attainment of democracy. Therefore, there is a need to respect and appreciate all those who dedicated their lives to ensuring that the enslaved people regained their rights and freedom as humans. Notably, even though much has been attained in this war, it is clear that much is required if total democracy is to be attained. Therefore, it should be the responsibility of every American to ensure they play their part in ensuring that racial discrimination becomes extinct, as every individual should be exposed to equal rights despite their race. It is through cooperation and sacrifice that we break our bondage. Hence, it is time people dedicated their lives to attain racial and gender equality changes to attain a democratic nation.
Work cited
Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African. [edition missing]. Perlego, 2005. 49-240
Walker, David, and Henry Garnet Garnet. Walker’s Appeal in Four Articles: An Add. Cosimo, Inc., 2005. 2-88