How Did The American Revolution Affect Slavery

After years and years of tyrannous oppression from the Mother country, the American colonies were ready to be rid of the British monarchy, so much so that in 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. But the Declaration was not perfect, even after several revisions and rewrites. One major imperfection was its call for equal rights for all men when Africans were still being used as slaves, and it did not state that that would change once the Americans were free from British reign. This one imperfection would cause conflict between the states and their citizens for years. While this issue should have been dealt with and would have best been dealt with in the Declaration of Independence, the southern states would

The objectives of Reconstruction in America were to reestablish the union of the North and the South and to help the liberated slaves accomplish social liberties. Amid this time, numerous achievements were made with a specific end goal to increase rise to rights for African Americans, for example, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth alterations, which nullified servitude, gave numerous African Americans citizenship, and gave them the privilege to vote. While the slaves were actually liberated, they were not really free as a result of state laws attempting to undermine these revisions, which were endeavoring to amplify their social liberties. Remaking was not effective due to state government endeavors to restrict the privileges of African

Life was unfair for African Americans, especially those who were free. Mary Stewart was killed, by a man who was later appointed to the Grand Jury (Blair 1764). For this reason is one of many why Lincoln wanted Congress to help end slavery once and for all (Brands 3). Lincoln struggled with getting slavery abolished and he grew tired and he began to show his age from it all. He even proved his determination of abolishing slavery when he would only consider peace with the southern states if slavery would be abolished (Blair 1758).

Unfortunately; representatives from South Carolina, Georgia and some from New England were in disagreement with Jefferson’s words against slavery and didn’t want to sign it. Congress argued back and both but, in the end; all of Jefferson 's words and thoughts against slavery was taken out or altered to be more pro slavery friendly. Just two years later, In 1778 Jefferson introduced the Virginia law which made the importation of enslaved Africans illegal in the Northwest areas. It wasn’t until years later in 1784 that Jefferson was actually able to ban slavery once and for all in the Northwest

Northerners expressed the abolishment of slavery while the Southerners were in favor of it. During the 1850’s, the United States became polarized due to slavery sentiments on both sides and Congress passed Fugitive Slave Laws. Congress passed the fugitive slave laws in 1793 and 1850 to return slaves who had escaped from a slave state into a free state or territory. The ideology of the fugitive slave law was borrowed from the Fugitive Slave Clause in the United States Constitution (Article IV, Section 2, Paragraph 3). It was conceived to force states to deliver escaped slaves to slave owner’s violated states ' rights due to state sovereignty and was believed that seizing state property should not be left up to the states.

In the Haitian Declaration of Independance, the Commander in Chief of the People of Haiti states, “Let us walk down another path; let us imitate those people who, extending their concern into the future, and dreading to leave an example of cowardice for posterity, preferred to be exterminated rather than lose their place as one of the world 's free peoples.” These former slaves are now freed and feel as though as they could have better lives. This revolution also started a global domino effect. Many countries changed their opinions on the subject of slavery. In the Islamic world, while slavery was not abolished, it was seen as taboo, and fewer people took part in the slave trade. The legacy that the abolition of slavery left has been everlasting.

From 1775 to 1830, contradictory events occurred: the number of slaves decreased and increased at the same time. Both free and enslaved African Americans had to quickly adapt to the growing changes around them and continue their fight for independence and equality. Many slaves earned their freedom in the years following the Revolutionary War. People began to realize how sinful it was to own slaves and many eventually freed them. For example, George Washington saw the evil of

This was the corruption of the white men of that time who were afraid of the truth surfacing and everyone finding out the truth about slavery. Equiano was able to share a little detail about how slaves were treated by saying that “[he] was first transported to Barbados and then Virginia, where he was purchased by a local planter,” (512). This action shows the reader that the slaves were treated as a form of property that was sold for labor. Equiano was never given the chance to gain the same freedom as a white man, he had to work for money. He goes on to say "I was now exceedingly miserable, and thought myself worse off than any of the rest of my companions ...

Slavery as a Positive Good Slavery in the south had grown in the early 1800’s. Importation of slaves had been outlawed since 1808 thus requiring the future of the trade to be a domestic issue . Since all slaves would now be born in the United States, there came a question of what to do? Slaves were obviously unable to fend for themselves as they were less than human. It became clear that the slave owners were, in fact, doing their slaves a favor.

Freedom papers legally stated that a slave was no longer attached to the slave owner. Free slaves had the ability and almost the same rights as white men. Free slaves were counted as three-fourths of a person when it was time to vote. African Americans were always looking for a way to become free from slavery. African Americans became free by using the underground railroad to move North away from the South.