Slavery And Women 's Rights

The American Revolution resonated with all classes of society, as it stood to divide a nation’s loyalties and recreate the existing fabric of society. During the 1770s to mid 1780s, no group living in the British American colonies was left unaffected. For blacks enslaved in America, the war presented the fleeting possibility of freedom in a nation that was still dependent on an economic structure of oppression and bondage. For those blacks that were free, they chose their alliances wisely in hopes of gaining economic opportunities and improving their status in the American colonies. The American Negroes, whether free or enslaved, could be found on either side of the battlefront. They took on many different roles, some fighting on the

"Throughout the years the constitution and the laws have made a tremendous impact in society. White men were privileged with all their rights since they were born. Women and men of color however were not, and they had to fight for their rights throughout the years. The Articles of confederation showed how the states had more power than the government did. In document two it states, “ urging to reject conservative attempts to repeal a law that set in motion an end to slavery.” (E,126) This shows how African American’s had to wait many years for laws to pass and give them freedom. They had the same rights as the White men after the 13th,14th, and 15th amendments were passed. Women had to wait longer and finally got their right to vote when

The effects of the revolutionary war were felt far and wide by everyone involved; however, groups such as the colonist slaves, the Indians, and women felt these influences in particular. For the colonist, the revolution signified the introduction of the idea of “life, liberty, and property” (Schultz, 2009, p. 112) as a natural right for every person. Additionally, the conclusion of the war signaled the possibility of the new politics of republican democracy, instead of the Old-World gentry style of governing (Schultz, 2014). Also, instead of seeing each state as its own entity, they began recognizing that they all shared attributes that separated them from everyone else; in fact, this provided the colonist with a sense of unity that was necessary for the creation of the United States of America (Schultz, 2009). These effects on the colonist were for their benefit, but what about the slaves?

The American Revolution was also known as the war of independence for the American colonies. Unpredictably, this war changed our world in more ways than we could imagine. Not only did this conflict over independence free the colonies from Britain, but also afforded freedom to many African Americans from the shackles of slavery. Pledged promises of freedom in exchange for military involvement by two military forces, encouraged blacks’ eagerness to participate, some, not only never mentioned, but were, in addition, sent back into slavery. In brief, Britain’s most formidable military force should not be reckoned with. Also, one could assume the colonies would be the sole beneficiaries of these loyalties from the African Americans, free and bound, but the fact is, many African Americans found themselves picking sides.

During the Revolution, the British viewed the African American’s in the South as numbers to add to their side of the war and also as a group of individuals to manipulate in warfare (Nash et al., 2008). On the other hand, the American’s viewed the slaves as vulnerable and dangerous. With so much speak of liberty and freedom during the revolution, the African American’s began to petition against the lives they were living as slaves and fought to have their own liberties.

As an anti-tax movement, the American Revolution centered on Americans’ right to control their own property. In the eighteenth century this notion of property extended to include other human beings. In many ways the American Revolution was conflicting in terms of its stance on slavery. On one hand, the Revolution reinforced American commitment to slavery; and on the other hand, the Revolution also hinged on radical new ideas about “liberty” and “equality,” which challenged slavery’s long tradition of extreme human inequality.

Consumed with the desire to gain liberty and equality, Americans fought for changes in their society resulting in the American War for Independence. Unfortunately the fight for independence did not bring liberty and equality to all Americans. Native Americans, African slaves, and women continued under the control of those with more money and power, which mainly included white, property owning men. As time went on the young American Republic continued to fight for ideals independence eventually making a revolutionary change in the way American’s live.

By 1860 Manifest Destiny divided America, making it hard for the Union to hold itself together. The spread of slavery broke bonds as more terrain was gained. Southern states and Northern states couldn’t reach common ground on slavery, causing more problems in the government. Slave labour was used for every state, and if slavery was to end many states could suffer financially. Slavery also had many members of the Union question if owning humans and treat them as property was just. Slavery threatened every state in the Union because it separated the country by political interests, economical requirements, and moral beliefs.

During the American Revolution, America went from being an extension of Britain (and a source of revenue when needed) to an independent nation built upon the grecian idea of democracy. When people hear the names George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, or Thomas Jefferson, they easily connect them to the capable leaders and revolutionary heroes who made great contributions during America’s delicate infancy. These men, along with countless others, fought for the end of the monopolization Britain held over the colonies and undyingly laid down their lives for the pursuit of freedom. However, do the names Deborah Sampson, Peter Salem, or Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben ring a bell? Women, people of color, and Europeans from all different walks of life were also swept up in the war for independence. The war did not feature people of one gender, race, or nationality. These individuals were in the flesh for all of these historical events, but, at the best, get a sentence in the history books taught in school curriculums. History books have a tendency to give major credit towards white men for our country’s freedom. The figures history teaches led armies into battles and shaped our government with significant doctrine, but they were not the only people in this war. The unprecedented sacrifices these unsung heroes gave

This undeniable reality of the racial constraints on the concept of equality naturally leads us to question whether the Revolution Era had a “truly revolutionary” effect on anyone except for the white man. When discussing the concept of equality in part with the Revolutionary Era, we should start with identifying the various demographics that were meant to be affected by this concept. Africans are arguably the most affected demographic by the revolutionary era. The most significant changes of where they sit on the societal totem pole happen in the northern colonies, as America a Narrative History states, after achieving independence all the states except Georgia stopped the trafficking of slaves; only for South Carolina to re-open their slave trade in 1803. However, we should also

Escaped slaves from the South helped the north to win the Civil War by increasing the number of soldiers fighting in the war for the north and by spying on the south for the north. With the help of escaped slaves fighting the South, the north outnumbered the south in battles, which eventually led to the North’s victory in the Civil War. Escaped slaves form the south also helped the north by spying on the south and reporting to Union officials who reported the information to the Union army. The purpose of this paper is to consider how escaped slaves from the south helped the north win the civil war resulting in the abolishment of slavery.

This mission involves discovering how the Civil War was remembered during the nineteenth century. Slavery was a controversial concern during this era, especially for those that endured the pain and suffering, the victims. Examining events, such as the Three-fifths Clause, the Fugitive Slave Clause, the Civil War and the abolition of Slavery. Observing these events, it becomes clear the American Revolution was also an attempt to diminish the perspective of the north and south pertaining to the concept of equality and human rights regardless of color. Demonstrating that the American Revolution was one of the most memorable occurrences in American history, this research highlights the importance of the revolution in shaping the actions of the United States government and initializing the concept of “liberty and justice for all,” with regard to the statues of Black Americans. Therefore this paper will exhibit the profound effects on the institution of Slavery.

Linda De Pauw’s contribution of “Land of the Unfree: Legal Limitations on Liberty in Revolutionary America”, written in a gender method discusses the slavery issue that was carefully overlooked during the time that the Declaration of Independence was composed by Thomas Jefferson. De Pauw discusses the irony of the colonists as they fought for their independence at the same time maintaining the enslavement of the majority of the colonies population. Her article dared to voice the unspoken notion that previous historians’ carefully avoided the issues of slavery. During this time there was enslavements of both blacks and whites, however, there was different legal restrictions for each classification of color.

Slavery and states’ rights were the most pressing issues in the 1860 presidential election. Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln won the presidency on the basis of his promise to halt the spread of slavery (Hillstrom). However, not all African Americans lived in slavery. African Americans that lived in freed states had to deal with strict laws that limited their conduct and behavior. Children who lived in northern states were able to receive their education, convicts could serve their sentences, and people could have been buried in cemeteries but on major thing is that they all had to be segregated. African Americans that lived in the southern states lived their life in feared of violence and racism. Many endured mobs lynching, whipped and branded with hot iron. When the Reconstruction period started many Americans believed that everyone should have the same constitutional rights and experience the privileges of citizenship. Which resulted from the south to experience the Jim Crow. Jim Crow laws were a set of ideas, social norms, life ways, role-play symbols, sanctions, and devastations created after the Civil War by white politician’s intent on maintaining a system of oppressive control over African American life and economics (Mzama & Asante). Equal rights laws that had been passed during Reconstruction continued to be replaced with discriminatory Jim Crow laws across the South. Although Northerners and Republican lawmakers showed little interest in protecting the rights

In order to talk about the abolition of slavery it is necessary to know the meaning of slavery and abolition. According to Dictionary.com the word “Slave means: a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person and abolition means: “the legal prohibition and ending of slavery, especially of slavery of blacks in the U.S.” Now that both words were defined we can begin. “It is said that the first African slaves were brought to the United States near the English Colony back in 1619 to Jamestown, Virginia by some Dutch traders. If we were to discuss the origins of slavery we would have to start not in the United States, but we would have to shift gears to Brazil were they were the biggest slaves traders of all times” according to History.net