Maria W. Stewart: The Abolitionist Movement

Although today equality is one of the main aspects of the American government, during the foundation period groups that were not given many freedoms used their rights to fight for greater equality. In 1977, African-American activists signed the Slave Petition for Freedom in an attempt to free slaves and give them freedoms. In America, slaves were treated very badly under the control of white aristocrats. Slaves were put under very strict guidelines and if those instructions were not met, they would be punished. Slaves were “Unjustly Dragged by the hand of cruel Power from their Derest (Dearest) friends and sum (some) of them Even torn from the Embraces of their tender Parents” and “Deprived of Every social privilege of Every thing Requisit

The Abolitionist movement during the Antebellum period, was a critical time in American history. The goal of this movement was to emancipate all slaves immediately, and end discrimination, as well as segregation. The brave men and women involved in this movement were called abolitionists and antislavery advocates. The antislavery advocates stood for freeing slaves gradually, and abolitionists wanted slavery gone immediately. No matter how fast, these people all wanted to spread opposition against slavery across the United States. Northern churches started liking this whole idea of abolishing slavery, which started conflict between the North and South. These arguments led up to the Civil War.

With Seneca Falls, 1848, the movement began in earnest. Early suffragists often had ties to the abolitionist movement. (Lecture 18) With the Civil War era, suffragists split over voting rights for black men. There was a need for regrouping and rethinking in the face of a reconstructed nation because there was a push for black men to get the right to vote. There were Women’s Rights conventions every year up until the Civil War, and in 1851, a resolution that “resolved, the proper sphere, for all human beings is the largest and highest for which they are able to obtain”. (Lecture 24) This captures the true essence of both the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Abolitionist Movement. Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were Abolitionists and a majority of suffragettes were as well as well as involvement with the temperance movement. (Ibid) The question was raised, should women keep advocating for women’s rights or do they need to support the war? This resulted in the pause between 1861-1865 when there was not a women’s convention for the first time. Women were deeply involved with the Union cause and were vital to upholding society and keeping stores in business by serving as “deputy husbands”. (Ibid) Women also had a direct role serving in the war, some served as nurses in addition to some fighting for the cause. Sarah Edmunds Seelye was one of the few who fought under a man’s name, she served under Franklin Thompson for the 2nd Michigan Infantry until she deserted due to

also the value of non-violent resistance supported by the transcendentalists and, There were many prominent figures in the Abolition movement that made great strides to freedom. Most took the route of political campaigning, but a few decided to take a more direct approach. One said individual is John Brown. John Brown was a white abolitionist born in Connecticut who simply grew tired of the pacifist approach and took up arms with a few volunteers against slavery.

Being an abolitionist was not a popular stance in pre-civil war America. Levi Coffin and his wife were abolitionists who assisted thousands of slaves make their way to freedom threw the Underground Railroad. The Coffins were radical, they risked their own freedom to help strangers have theirs. Levi was middle class white business owner, he had no incentive to speak out against slavery. In contrast to society the Coffins not only opposed slavery, but they took action against it. They begin housing run a way slaves in their own home. This was extremely risky because if they were caught they would be imprisoned and lose all they owned. Once they had a very close encounter with law. When questioned they refused to deny that they had slaves hidden,

John Brown’s beliefs about slavery and activities to destroy it hardly represented the mainstream of northern society in the years leading up to the Civil War. This rather unique man, however, took a leading role in propelling the nation toward secession and conflict. Many events influenced Brown’s views on slavery from an early age. When he was older, his strong anti-slavery feelings had grown, and he became an extreme abolitionist. His raid on Harpers Ferry was one of the first monumental events leading up to the civil war.

The Second Great Awakening inspired many women to fight for their rights. Many women began to speak out about their beliefs on slavery and other issues. For example, in a dialogue between Harriet and Mrs. A on the topic of slavery, Harriet says, “women, with the strength and the enlightening power of truth on their side, may not do something to overthrow it.” Harriet

During the 19th century, the dawn of social reform was unearthed. The Abolitionist Movement and the Women’s Suffrage Movement joined forces to advocate for social justice. Generally speaking, they sought freedom, but as you look closer into these movements you see where these movements parallel and where they diverge. With the potential promise of a more inclusive America, accepting people for who they are and not because of their gender or color, these groups worked together. While the Women’s Suffrage Movement focused on the pending promise of individual sovereignty, the abolitionist movement sought to end the precedent of buying and treating people as property and as a tangible object that can be replaced. Both movements were after the larger goal of eliminating discrimination and segregation by shredding the weight of oppression.

(Hannam 296) During the Anti-Slavery Movement, she had valuable experience in public speaking and running poilitical organizations through her work in the abolishionist movement. (298 ) in the process women were generally discouraged from taking active part in public life and expected to join women only groups in support of male organizations (ibid) While Elizabeth Cady Stanton is best known for her long contribution to the woman suffrage struggle, without her struggles these issues wouldnt have been effective in winning property rights for married women, equal guardianship of children, and liberalized divorce laws. These reforms made it possible for women to leave marriages that were abusive of the wife, the children, and the economic health of the family.

How did the abolitionists' proposals and methods differ from those of earlier antislavery movements (see Chapter 8)?

Lydia Maria Child was an author, activist, and abolitionist. Her books and writings were about abolition, racial justice, and common opinions. Child wrote one of the earliest American historical novels, the first complete and thorough history of American slavery, and the first comparative history of women. Also, she edited the first American children's magazine, edited books for the freed slaves, and published the first book that was designed for the elderly. Lydia had an extraordinary ability for knowing exactly what the public wanted to read and when they wanted it.

The meeting place of the second convention was originally Pennsylvania Hall in Philadelphia. In response to the convention’s efforts, anti-abolitionist mobs burned the hall down. The convention was then moved to the establishment of Sara T. Smith who was a woman abolitionist. As she presented her speech, “Loosening the Bounds of Slavery,” she challenged the notion that women could not speak out against or even “discuss the subject of slavery.” Through her speech, Smith emotionally sways the audience by relating Her uses of logic and reason strengthen her argument that women have an equal right to speak out against the deplorable treatment of African Americans.

Today the Missus hit little Timothy ‘cus he got really really greedy since we haven't eaten in two days so she smacked him in the mouth. Auntie May gave him a spoonful of castor oil told him that if he would stop his caterwauling he would be as fit as a fiddle. Papa says that maybe next year will be the year we finally pay off our debt but I know the truth. That we will never get out of debt. Even Papa thinks so, even if he swears he doesn't. Every day we slave away in the fields, working for that skunk Mr.McMichaels; what we do is akin to slavery. I really don’t know why Papa was against slavery if this was what he wanted to do with his freedom. Today is the anniversary of Mama’s death, but we could even

The notion of slavery, as unpleasant as it is, must nonetheless be examined to understand the hardships that were caused in the lives of enslaved African-Americans. Without a doubt, conditions that the slaves lived under could be easily described as intolerable and inhumane. As painful as the slave's treatment by the masters was, it proved to be more unbearable for the women who were enslaved. Why did the women suffer a grimmer fate as slaves? The answer lies in the readings, Harriet Jacob's Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl and Olaudah Equiano's Interesting Narrative which both imply that sexual abuse, jealous mistresses', and loss of children caused the female slaves to endure a more dreadful and hard life in captivity.

During many years there were groups that fought the cause to end slavery in the United States one of the group was called the Abolitionist movement in the United States of America they fought for a nation that valued personal freedom and believed "all men were created equal." Some of the people behind the fight against slavery were the following: Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Nee Harriet Ross, Harriet Beecher Stowe, President Abraham Lincoln and many others. The abolition movement became an important element of political parties. Although the Native American Party (derisively called the Know-Nothing Party because when member were asked about the secretive group they claimed to "know nothing"). The law that was created