John Brown's Influence On The Abolition Movement

At the beginning of Andrew Johnson’s Presidency many believed that he would punish the South for their treason during the Civil War and support African American suffrage. (Page 83) However, this changed when Johnson began to set up his plans for Reconstruction in 1865 when he moved to pardon all Confederates that pledged an oath of loyalty and the returning of all of their property with the exclusion of slaves. The only exception to this would be for high-ranking Confederate generals who owned property that exceeded over $20,000 were required to apply for Presidential pardons. With the passing of the Black Codes and violence seen towards African Americans in the South, prompted the Radical Republicans to take matters into their hands. Reconstruction

The mutiny, “Deepened the schism between slaveholders and free-soilers” (history.com). Nat’s actions led to, “ending the organized emancipation movement in that region.”( History.com). “The state legislature of Virginia considered abolishing slavery, but in a close vote decided to retain slavery and to support a repressive policy against black people, slave and free “ ( Pbs.org). Because of the rebel people considered abolishing slavery but because so many people died, the cons of the attack outweighed the pros. There was much damage caused by the rebel.

The white man’s happiness cannot be purchased by the black man’s misery.” Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, or better known as Frederick Douglass, was an African-American who supported the abolition of slavery in the nineteenth century. Slave-born of an unknown father, Frederick Douglass taught himself how to write and read- even though it was a crime for black people to learn- and became one of the most eloquent orator, and writer during the nineteenth century. With his great passion of wanting to demolish slavery, he gained thousands and thousands of black people, and even white people, who supported him in the abolition of slavery. His antislavery not only reached the United States, but even Great Britain. Abandoned first by his mother and then by his grandmother, then passing through very

This introduced the principle that slavery was a sin and an abomination. Ministers in the North preached about the horrors of slavery, especially the slave trade, and that God would seek vengeance on any nation that committed such cruelties. In New York during the year 1810, Reverend William Miller gave a sermon on the abolition of the slave trade stating, “According to the basis of the christian religion, we are bound to love God with all our soul, and our neighbor as ourselves: but this sacred injunction does not reach the heart of the oppressors of Africans” (Miller 11). This was the very premise for most of the Abolition Movement: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. If thou doesn’t love thy neighbor as thyself, thou was unchristian like.

Turner along with his band of about 70 slaves where going from one house to another killing every family. They would use knifes and clubs as weapons to kill around 50 whites. A militia force had to intervene to stop the revolt. Later all the slaves along with Nat Turner would get executed. Sadly the rebellion had caused even tighter laws on slavery and many states had even banned people from teaching blacks how to read and wright because they saw that the key factor in this revolt was the intelligence of Turner.

Secede means to leave or withdraw from the union. During the mid 1850s the south wanted to secede from the union. Southern states wanted to secede from the union because President Lincoln was elected, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published, and because slavery was the basis of their community. First the south wanted to leave the union because President Lincoln was elected. In document 5 it says “Free Speech, Free Homes, Free Territory”.

Most Free-States colonists were antislavery but also anti-black; the Browns however believed in complete equality for black and were firm to fight for it. This period of political conflict over the matter of slavery is known as bleeding Kansas. Moreover, on May 21, 1856, ruffians robbed the new anti-slavery Town of Lawrence. When the news of the incident of Lawrence reached Brown’s station the Pottawatomie Rifle, which consisted of thirty-four men departed for the surround town but when they finally arrived it was too late. Furthermore, another mayor event that happened in in the capital building was the attack of the abolitionist Charles Sumner after denounced the “slave power” of committing “the rape of a virgin Territory” (94).

The Emancipation Proclamation is a historic document written by President Abraham Lincoln. This document stated that of January 1, 1863, all slaves will be freed from seceding states. Many, such as Clement L. Vallandigham believe that the Emancipation Proclamation is a worthless act; however, people such as Frederick Douglas believe the Emancipation Proclamation was an accomplishment (Dudley 168). The Emancipation Proclamation is an achievement because it is an important document trying to free the slaves and avenges those who have died for freedom. Frederick Douglas, a former slave, was known in the Union as an abolitionist, writer, and speaker (Dudley 168).

The South wanted to keep slaves while the North wanted to abolish them. In conclusion, the primary cause of the civil war was not slavery instead was the issue of states rights. The Northern armies won the Civil War and the the South returned to the Union. “The Civil War started because of differences between free slaves states and the power of the government that said if slavery was correct or incorrect.”(The Civil War in America Prologue). Slavery was right at that time but now it is wrong.

In the 19th century, slavery and the Reconstruction was a sore subject for the South. Reconstruction forged civil rights for African-Americans, but once the North’s influenced waned in the South, the South terrorized African-Americans and blocked them from accessing their newfound rights. While Reconstruction may have brought civil rights, those rights were quickly squashed by the South’s racism. Even after certain freedoms were securely gained, every new attempt to make African-Americans equal to the white populace was contested. A large group of people were happy to see slavery ended and civil rights rise.