Abolitionist Movement: History, Main Ideas, and Activism Today

The abolitionist motion was a social motion devoted to ending the slave commerce and liberating enslaved individuals. Essentially the most memorable figures come from the UK and the US, however abolitionists have been lively in each nation that enslaved individuals. On this article, we’ll deal with the historical past of the abolitionist actions within the UK and US, in addition to their principal concepts and what abolitionism appears like at this time.

The transatlantic slave commerce was authorized for nearly 400 years, however by the 18th century, the motion to abolish slavery grew in affect. Within the UK, it took campaigners a long time to lastly abolish the slave commerce and emancipate enslaved individuals, whereas in the US, slavery ended with the Civil Struggle and the Thirteenth Modification. 

The historical past of the abolitionist motion

The transatlantic slave commerce existed for nearly 400 years. Whereas information are imperfect, the United Nations estimates that round 15 million individuals have been victimized by this merciless establishment. In keeping with Slavery and Remembrance, Portugal and Spain started utilizing enslaved individuals first to work sugar plantations, and ultimately, crops like tobacco and rice. Different international locations adopted swimsuit, and shortly, the transatlantic slave commerce was an enormous enterprise. Not everybody supported slavery, nonetheless, and over time, the abolitionist motion grew in energy and affect. Let’s discuss abolitionism within the two international locations the place it was most important: the UK and the US.

The abolitionist motion within the UK

In keeping with info from the UK Parliament, the British bought concerned within the transatlantic slave commerce in 1562. By the 1730s, the UK was the most important slave-trading nation on this planet, however individuals have been beginning to categorical a want to finish slavery. Within the 1780s, the abolitionist motion kicked off with a deal with London. The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Commerce, which ultimately grew to become Anti-Slavery Worldwide, was based in 1787. Thomas Clarkson, a campaigner in opposition to slavery, collected information on the brutality of slavery. In the meantime, in Parliament, William Wilberforce introduced invoice after invoice to finish slavery, however none of them handed. In Haiti, the place Spain had enslaved native individuals since 1492, freedom fighters fought again in opposition to Spanish, French and British forces. Whereas the Haitian freedom chief, Toussaint Louverture, died in 1803, his lieutenants continued the conflict. In 1804, Haiti was established as an unbiased republic. It’s the one profitable slave rebel in historical past.

In Britain, the marketing campaign in opposition to slavery continued into the early nineteenth century. In 1807, William Wilberforce made a twelfth try in Parliament, and this time, it handed. King George III signed the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Commerce, which banned the buying and selling of individuals within the British Empire. It didn’t free these already enslaved, nonetheless. Full emancipation was not achieved till 1838.

Racism and the slave commerce are inseparable. The place does racism come from? Listed here are 10 root causes.

The abolitionist motion in the US

The abolitionist motion in the US used comparable ways as their counterparts within the UK, however progress appeared completely different. The North was decidedly extra against slavery than the South, whose financial system relied on enslaved individuals working in agriculture. In keeping with Historical past.com, anti-slavery sentiment elevated after the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which made Missouri a slave state. The abolitionist motion unfold to New York, Massachusetts and different Northern states. The motion grew extra outraged when Congress handed the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, which required the seize of escaped enslaved individuals, even when they’d made it to free states. The notorious 1857 Dred Scott choice, which denied Black individuals authorized citizenship rights, additionally motivated abolitionists. Frederick Douglass, a previously enslaved author and speaker, was one of many best-known abolitionists. Harriet Tubman, who helped enslaved individuals escape to freedom, and William Lloyd Garrison, who revealed the anti-slavery paper “The Liberator,” have been additionally influential.

Whereas the UK ended slavery with the passage of a legislation, the US went to conflict over the destiny of the apply. Within the late 1850s, tensions between the North and South have been nearing a boiling level. There have been a couple of causes for the battle, however they centered on slavery. The Southern states wished the facility to abolish federal legal guidelines they didn’t like, together with legal guidelines that disrupted slavery. In addition they wished to develop the apply of slavery into western territories. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president. The Southern states, who had opposed him, determined to secede from the US. The Civil Struggle started in 1861. Two years later, President Lincoln launched the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared “all individuals held as slaves” could be free. The Thirteenth Modification, which was added to the Structure in 1863, formally abolished slavery.

Slavery was abolished due to the persistent work of activists. Wish to be taught extra about activism and easy methods to get entangled? Right here’s our Activism 101 article.

The principle concepts of the abolitionist motion

The abolitionist actions within the UK and the US wished the identical factor: to finish the slave commerce and free enslaved individuals. Whereas there have been completely different concepts about easy methods to accomplish these objectives and what ought to occur after slavery ended, all abolitionists usually agreed slavery was mistaken for humanitarian and spiritual causes.

Slavery as a humanitarian challenge

Individuals who have been pro-slavery typically argued that enslaved individuals have been handled properly. Pictures of the kind-hearted plantation proprietor and completely satisfied slave have been frequent, as was the idea that life could be a lot worse for Black individuals if slavery got here to an finish. Abolitionists spent loads of effort and time educating individuals on the cruel actuality. There was nothing sort or completely satisfied about slavery. Within the late 18th century, abolitionists in England started amassing analysis on the slave commerce, together with how horrific the journey from Africa was. The ships have been packed from stem to stern with individuals, a lot of whom have been shackled. Ship captains cared little for sanitation and healthcare, whereas torture was a typical punishment for any sort of resistance or grievance. Knowledge estimates that round 2 million of these kidnapped for slavery died on the journey. Pictures of the ships, together with descriptions of the situations on board, have been an necessary instrument for abolitionists.

Previously enslaved individuals additionally performed a key function in revealing the cruelty of slavery as they’d private expertise. Many wrote what are often called “slave narratives,” which have been pamphlets or books detailing an individual’s life as a slave. Fredrick Douglass’ 1895 ebook, Narrative of the Lifetime of Frederick Douglass, was one of the standard. On this ebook, Douglass describes the horrific remedy he endured and witnessed whereas enslaved in Massachusetts, which included bodily, emotional and psychological abuse. The authors of slave narratives typically traveled and lectured round the US and Europe, sharing the reality about slavery. The abolitionist motion’s purpose was to impress outrage and sympathy, so those that had as soon as accepted slavery would really feel compelled to combat in opposition to it for humanitarian causes.

Slavery as an ethical mistaken

Educating individuals on the cruelty of slavery was a standard tactic for each UK and US abolitionists, however a lot of them additionally argued in opposition to slavery for non secular causes. This positioned them on the alternative aspect of Christians who used faith to argue for slavery. Professional-slavery Christians would level to Bible verses, claiming they shone a positive mild on slavery, whereas abolitionists argued that God made all individuals, together with enslaved individuals, worthy of rights. Whereas not all abolitionists have been non secular, there was a robust non secular thread by the motion within the UK and the US. A number of the most distinguished abolitionists, reminiscent of William Wilberforce in England and Sojourner Fact in the US, ceaselessly spoke of their non secular religion and the way it motivated them.

The Quakers had as soon as been distinguished slave merchants, however they emerged as one of many first non secular teams to argue in opposition to slavery. In 1688, 4 members despatched a petition in opposition to slavery to their native assembly, but it surely wasn’t launched till 1844. In keeping with Stephen Angell, from the Earlham College of Faith, this petition may very well be the primary direct protest in opposition to slavery. From the seventeenth century on, Quakers have been probably the most vocal non secular group to talk in opposition to slavery, arguing that slavery was an ethical mistaken incompatible with the Christian religion.

The abolitionist motion at this time

The abolitionist motion remains to be lively at this time, albeit in a distinct kind. With the transatlantic slave commerce now not working, the trafficking of individuals is a secretive, unlawful apply. This makes it a lot tougher to handle. In keeping with the Worldwide Labour Group, there have been virtually 50 million trafficked individuals in 2021. That features individuals in pressured labor, pressured marriages and compelled business sexual exploitation. Activists elevate consciousness of the numerous types of human trafficking, strengthen anti-trafficking legal guidelines, help survivors and extra. In the US, the abolitionist motion additionally works on ending authorized exploitative labor, which impacts individuals in jail. The Thirteenth Modification might have abolished formal slavery, but it surely left an exception for slavery as a punishment for against the law. In keeping with the ACLU, incarcerated employees earn a mean of simply 13-52 cents an hour nationwide, whereas in seven states, they’re not paid in any respect for many work assignments.

Curious about studying extra about human trafficking? Right here’s our article on Human Trafficking 101.

Many activists additionally push again in opposition to phrases like “trendy slavery.” There are a lot of the reason why, together with the variations in legality between the slavery of the previous and human trafficking, in addition to the causes of trafficking. Through the use of the phrases of the previous in a contemporary context, activists additionally run the chance of whitewashing the abolitionist motion of the 18th and nineteenth centuries. Regardless of the significance of their work, abolitionists like William Wilberforce stopped wanting accepting full equality between individuals of various races. They could have despised slavery, however many white abolitionists didn’t acknowledge their very own racism. The combat in opposition to human trafficking requires completely different instruments than the abolitionist motion of just about two centuries in the past, so our language ought to replicate that.