Antebellum Abolitionists

Antebellum The time period before the Civil War

Abolitionist Someone who is actively involved in abolishing slavery

Fugitive Slave Law A law which forced people to return runaway slaves

Harriet Tubman Escape slave who guided over 300 slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad; known as “the Moses of her people”

William Lloyd Garrison White Boston publisher who founded an abolitionist newspaper, the Liberator, in 1834, which supported abolitionism, demanded an immediate and no-compromise end to slavery; founded the American Antislavery Society in 1835.

Frederick Douglass Former slave of Maryland; lecturer; published the first of two autobiographies in 1845 and moved to England; returned to the U.S. in 1847 and founded the antislavery newspaper North Star in Rochester, NY; helped slaves escape.

John Brown Northerner who led deadly raid in Kansas in 1855 and a slave revolt at Harpers Ferry, Va. in July 1859 to capture a federal warehouse full of weapons; his plan failed and Brown was tried and hanged; he had no regrets and abolitionists thought he was a hero.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852 about the evil and horrors of slavery; she hated slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850; 300,000 copies of the book were sold in the first year; many Northerners hated Southerners even more and the South considered the book a lie.

Sojourner Truth Famous abolitionist activist, discarded her slave name Isabella Baumfree; her philosophy was that people best show love for God by love and concern for others; she helped hundreds of slaves escape and spread her ideas through the North.

Nat Turner Slave from South Hampton, Va.; literate and religious; led 70 men in a three day slave revolt killing 57 men, women, and children; he was caught; tried; and executed in 1831.

David Walker Free black man from North Carolina who wrote a pamphlet in 1830 titled Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World. His writings were so inspiring and controversial that the entire South banned anything written by him. Walker was found dead shortly after the publication was released. This phrase "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?" was used excessively in David Walker's writings and speeches. It became a major anti-slavery symbol and was used on a lot of propaganda and merchandise to spread this idea around.

Abolitionist Graphic Organizer Similarities   (beliefs, values, goals) Differences Strategies Put a star (*) by the strategy you think was most effective and write a brief explanation why. Influences

Similarities Worked to abolish slavery Moral value system that is opposed to one human owning another human Brave Dedicated Determined Antebellum time period

Differences Former slaves, free blacks, slaves, whites Men/women Variety of strategies Education North/South/West Wealthy/poor

Strategies newspapers novels speeches diplomacy violence underground railroad Which strategy do you think was most effective? Why?

Influences religion – Quakers Moral ethics experience – slavery, family laws, Constitution, political actions, court cases

How were the beliefs of the European settlers similar to the abolitionists? Which European belief was a contradiction? Freedom, equality for all people, religious Contradiction = Europeans instituted slavery in the America’s

What principles of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States contradicted slavery? Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; all men are created equal; freedom; democracy

How do you think the diversity of the abolitionists contributed to the success of the anti-slavery movement? (clue: think of the Civil Rights Movement) Society takes notice of human movements that involve a diverse aspect of humanity. Diversity in people, location, and strategies shows the strength of a movement. Without a non-violent approach, it probably would not have been successful.

Why was the pro-slavery movement so strong? MONEY! International competition, pride in region, importance of cotton

Name four groups that profited from slavery. (try for 6) African traders European traders Auctioneers plantation owner (labor and property) railroads textile owner textile worker