Slavery Is a Dark Stain Term Paper

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The first Great Awakening in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries became a harbinger of the later, more vocal and radical abolitionist movements. The Maryland Abolition Society was another early abolitionist group. Some abolitionist movements espoused violent means to obtain full freedom for slaves, and John Brown is one of the most notorious advocates of radical means.

In 1817, a group of wealthy white males founded the American Colonization Society (ACS). The ACS had an abolitionist platform but a fundamentally racist agenda. While the main objective of the ACS was to eventually free the slaves, members also wanted to deport all blacks to an African colony. Called Liberia after the Latin word for "free," the colony was created by the ACS for the express purpose of creating a second exodus of freed slaves, many of whom were born on American soil. Some members of the ACS might have been more staunch abolitionists, but for the most part the ACS feared that freed slaves would incite rebellions and not integrate well into mainstream American society. The ACS was a highly controversial organization that was opposed by both pro- and anti-slavery elements.

Slave revolts and rebellions were an integral part of the movement toward abolition. Denmark Vesey's Uprising in 1822 was one of the larger early uprisings. Although many uprisings like his failed, they drew attention to the slave trade and exposed its cruelty. A more successful uprising was Nat Turner's 1831 Revolt. However, notorious revolts like these resulted in backlash, as slave owners only became crueler, instating ever tighter rules and restrictions on their slaves to prevent future rebellions. Moreover, the fugitive slave laws became a major federal political issue.

Life for freed slaves and free blacks in the north was mostly better than life in shackles in the south.

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However, free blacks contended with racial prejudice and poverty. Many African-Americans fought in wars like the War of 1812 but were still not permitted to participate in politics. Through writing and subversive nonviolent political activity, many freed slaves and free blacks propelled the Underground Railroad, organized rebellions, and otherwise contributed to the abolitionist movement. Among whites, religious women tended to be among the most outspoken of abolitionists. Radical abolitionists generally called for a total and immediate emancipation for all slaves throughout all states. More temperate minds noted the rampant sectionalism that was driving apart the United States.

Sectionalism culminated in the election of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. When the Union succeeded and Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation, slaves were freed on the books. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1865, ending the practice of slavery. The South responded through so-called Black Codes, which caused Congress to pass the 14th Amendment in 1868. The 14th Amendment reversed the Dred Scott decision and extended equal protection to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States." Still, private organizations were permitted to discriminate and then Plessy vs. Ferguson made segregation legal. The 15th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1870, stated: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." In response to the 15th Amendment, systematic attempts to prevent blacks from voting ranged from radical intimidation a la KKK to poll taxes. Until the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and even decades after, blacks in the United States still suffered from diminished political and economic representation.

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