British Abolition Movement

In a unique approach author David Galenson examines the transition of servants to slaves during the 17th and 18th century of British America. He successfully covers the importance of slavery and the reason for its high demand. Galenson takes into consideration the demographic conditions and its differences throughout the West Indies,

Slavery represents an important part of Jamaican history and the cultivated dominant atmosphere. For one, plantations highly depended on slave labor to maximize profit margins. Between 1655 and 1808 one million slaves were forcefully brought to Jamaica (Waters, 1985: 21-23). Persaud (2001: 72) suggests, “the plantation system, the totality of institutional arrangements surrounding the production and marketing of plantation crops, has seriously affected society in Jamaica”. In other words, the slave mode of production was a crucial factor in the establishment of Jamaica’s structural society. “Jamaica’s class structure today reflects its history as a colonial plantation society and its beginnings of industrial development

Capitalism was the sole purpose for being the cause of an exponential use of slaves in all aspects of production. Notably, it involved an economic system whose basis originates from private ownership of all the means of production as well as the production of goods and services majorly meant for profit. With characteristics such as accumulation of capital, labor, private property ownership, and competitive market. Therefore, there was a great need for means of production hence slavery. However, there is a close relationship between free and slave labor as used in production. The paper uses “Capitalism and Slavery” (William, 1961) as a primary source material to compare the profitability of free labor and slave labor through an in-depth discussion of the role the African slavery played in the development of capitalism in the New World. Free labor and slave labor both have profits in the production process and would be applied differently at various places. For instance, slave labor was profitable in activities in which little skills and versatility in production process were required. It is worth noting that, the use of slave labor to cultivate a fresh soil is more profitable than the use of free men in the cultivation of an exhausted land. However, the use of slave labor was the option at the earlier stages of development of colonies, although slaved labor was unskillful, given reluctantly, and lacks versatility (Eltis, 2000). Moreover, use of slave labor were not moral but

“He believed in freedom of mankind and he preached it, openly, bravely, at a time when such preaching meant not merely social ostracism and political opposition, but personal danger,” was how Theodore Weld was described shortly after his death in 1859. Not only is this description true, but it highlights Theodore Weld’s passion to end slavery as a bold abolitionist. His approach to ending slavery was different from other abolitionists; Weld desired to spread education rather than accusation. This resulted in people attaining a better understanding of slavery and knowing the why of how slavery is wrong and oppressive. Weld was also very capable of lecturing and is popularly known as “one of the most fearless and powerful lecturers” , while that is true, Weld accomplished many other things that were more effective than his lecturing. Such as publishing works on slavery that inspired others to participate in the abolitionist movement and he also participated in the infamous American Anti-Slavery Society(AASS), which Weld greatly improved by implementing an agency called the Seventy within the AASS. Although Theodore Weld’s lectures were very persuasive, his published works and educational approach to spreading abolitionism is more significant due to the effectiveness in advocating and influencing his belief to a wider audience, such as Harriet Stowe and creating a lasting impact by educating the young to continue the anti-slavery movement.

The word abolitionist has lingered since the late 1800’s. Due to the fact that people wanted slavery gone and they wanted that immediately. But the word abolitionist isn’t just for the American Civil War it was made to hold the meaning of the act of abolition. Now what abolition means is to get rid of or destroy which is what they did to slavery after the Union won the civil war. Now what is an abolitionist was back in the 1800’s they were people who did their best to support the Union and fought slavery on their own accord whether it be speeches or protests, they did what they could to get rid of slavery.

During the eighteenth century, the opposition to slavery prior to forming the United States became increasingly stronger between the Northern and Southern territories. Prior to the 1830s, antislavery societies began to emerge from every corner to challenge the slave system and to help combat slavery. During this time, people had different ideas about how to confront the issue of slavery in the system and how to establish a freedom of oppression. In the eighteenth century, antislavery political activists believed the slave system would able to be changed through peaceful political reforms, while others felt that real change could only be achieved by violence. A radical white abolitionist named John Brown became a historical figure whose beliefs motivated the violent abolitionist crusade.

After the American Revolution, numerous amounts of slaves were freed and began to express their indignation towards slavery and racial discrimination. Abolitionists believed that slavery was immoral and illegal and supported these ideas with the two most important laws at that time, the Bible and the Constitution. Although the ideals between abolitionists were similar, their means of bringing slavery to an end were completely different. The late 1830’s brought the distinction of tactics between radical and conservative abolitionists. Conservatives strove for a gradual abolition of slavery while radicals advocated the immediate emancipation. While both radicals and conservatives fought for the abolition, radicals such as David Walker enforced the use violence if necessary, while conservatives such as Frederick Douglass turned to politics as a weapon against slavery. As a result, Walker’s Appeal was more effective towards the abolition movement than Douglass was due to its strong, radical, and revolutionary tone that caused the abolition movement to take a more radical direction.

A surge of religious revival accompanied the arrival of the abolition movement during the Second Great Awakening. Therefore, the connection between religion and opposition to slavery was extremely strong. This awakening advocated the inner perfection of all men and tried to perfect society as much as possible using social reform. These beliefs led many revivalist protestants to reject slavery as a Christian institution. For example, William Lloyd Garrison, a radical abolitionist produced the “Declaration of Sentiments” in opposition to slavery and its disregard for human rights (Document E).

When Black abolitionists began to examine the results of moral reform and moral persuasion in the late 1830s and early 1840s, they concluded that the battle for emancipation and quality need new strategies and tactics. Their 'situation was worsening', not improving and hard evidence in black life supportted that claim. The different level of such group to the intellectual, social, and economic force (Woodson,1925, Quaarles, 1969, and Dick 1974). But there was a growing number of white abolitionists will not adopt immediate belief, rejecting what Garrison now called the pernicious doctrine of gradual emancipation.

During the 1780s and 1790s Reverend John Newton, preached against the horrors of slavery and spoke of his participation in the slave trade. He converted William Wilberforce, a member of Parliament, worked with Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp to end the slave trade. Through their writings speeches and meetings they spread knowledge of its evils. They proceeded to join the efforts of English Quakers and in 1806 they successfully convinced Parliament to abolish the slave trade. Elizabeth Coltman Heyrick's (an English Quaker) tract Immediate, Not Gradual Abolition published in 1824, helped transfer the ideas of British antislavery across the Atlantic. Inspired, William Lloyd Garrison took her idea and added his own of not compensating slave owners. He also supported full rights of citizenship for slaves and that they be allowed to remain in the country.

The Second Great Awakening was a Religious Revival Movement in American that started in 1790. Many Inspiring Movements were birthed from this revival. Some examples would be the Abolitionists Movement which sought to end slavery and the Woman’s Rights Movement which sought to secure equal rights for women.

After reading chapters 1 and 2 in our textbook I discovered many policies that were instated to help in the expansion of the West. The one I would like to discuss is the Homestead Act of 1862. Shortly after the Indian Removal Act of 1830 was instated (moving many Native Americans off of western territories), many white individuals were hungry for more land. George Henry Evans, a labor leader in the House, felt he had a solution to the job deficit problem arising in the East. If he could provide these low income individuals with low-cost or free land, it could help eliminate the issue. Most of the abolitionist were in favor of this act, feeling that it could help end issues associated with slavery and the poor. While

Abolitionism, Nullification, Cult of Domesticity all of which are major themes that occur during the early 1830’s. The following ideas may not be heavily related but, together they helped Martin Van Buren get elected President of The United States. Abolitionism which was a movement before and during the civil war to put an end to slavery in the United States. The Nullification Crisis was a United States political crisis beginning with the tariff of abominations of 1828, occurring during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, involving a conflict between South Carolina and the United States Federal Government. The Cult of Domesticity also known as the cult of true womanhood is a term used by many historians to describe what they consider to be a triumphing value system among middle and upper class women during the 1800’s in the United States. All of the following helped Martin Van Buren to become president which is not very important in American history but, the way Van Buren became president is extremely important in American history. More importantly, The Nullification Crisis, The Cult of Domesticity and Abolitionism were themes that foretold and even bigger conflict the Civil War.

The History of Mary Prince was a seminal work of the nineteenth century, which today remains an important historical device. Mary Prince’s story is not unique, but the circumstances and context surrounding her novel are. Defying contemporary standards and beliefs, The History of Mary Prince demonstrates the atrocities of slavery, but also a distinctive and deliberate political message. The History of Mary Prince is not only important for its demonstration of human suffering and the legal history it documents, but it also offers insight into the British abolition movement. Twofold, it remains an important text through both its straightforward portrayal of facts and experience as well as its underlying careful manipulation of political and moral themes. The History of Mary Prince served as an influential abolitionist piece of writing, but furthermore can incite multiple layers of interpretation and analysis of the abolition movement.

This paper will question the relationship between Slavery and Capitalism, and the extent to how dependent Capitalism was on slavery. Chattel slavery first arrived to America in 1619 and from there the business just kept on growing. It leads to the invention of the cotton gin and helped push forward the young country into the developed powerful nation it is now. This can be gained from the readings from Bailyn, Beverly, the Declaration of Independence, and other works that show not only how profitable slavery was, but also how important it was to the development of America as a country.