Who Fought to End Slavery? PDF

Who Fought to End Slavery? Introduction: Throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the free Black population in the United States grew, reaching 12% of the Black population by 1860. While the number of free Black people was higher in the South than in the North, they made up a small fract...

Who Fought to End Slavery? Introduction: Throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the free Black population in the United States grew, reaching 12% of the Black population by 1860. While the number of free Black people was higher in the South than in the North, they made up a small fraction of the larger enslaved population. Despite these challenges, free Black communities in cities like Philadelphia, New York, and New Orleans thrived, largely through the creation of mutual-aid societies run by Black women. These volunteer organizations provided financial support, educational opportunities, and assistance for newly freed individuals, helping them meet their needs without depending on the government or businesses. ​ 12% of the black population free by the civil war ​ Free black communities in the north and south ran “mutual-aid societies” ○​ Even white women will create these to help with poverty/suffering ○​ Basically volunteer charities ○​ For abolitionist women to help the community (generally middle class/wealthy women with the time to help) ○​ Black women help black people ​ Fleeing to bigger cities in the south as well ○​ Safety and opportunities to work ​ Some free blacks born to free parents/came to the country free Black women were central to these efforts, using their positions within mutual-aid societies to fund the growth of Black schools, businesses, and independent churches. They also played a significant role in supporting the work of Black writers and speakers. In the abolition movement (1830-1870)—the effort to end slavery and promote the equality of enslaved people—Black women addressed the unique challenges of being both Black and female in a racially discriminatory society. Through speeches and publications, they highlighted the need to consider both gender and race in the broader fight for freedom, justice, and equality, making their voices essential to abolitionist discourse. ​ Used influence to fund various Black institutions ​ Wrote speeches and publications about their struggles which help the abolitionist movement ​ Cause continues after Civil War until 13th-15th amendments ○​ 13th: abolish slavery ○​ 14th: confirms birth-right citizenship ○​ 15th: black men right to vote The abolitionist movement used various strategies, including direct action (proactive resistance methods) and publications, to galvanize public sentiment and challenge the legal and social systems upholding slavery. While emigrationists advocated for African Americans to relocate to Latin America, the Caribbean, and West Africa to escape racial oppression, anti-emigrationists rejected this idea. They fought for abolition and racial equality within the United States, championing birthright citizenship (citizenship based on where you were born) and highlighting the paradox (contradicting situation) of a nation that celebrated freedom yet excluded millions from citizenship based on race. ​ Challenge legal and social systems (public opinion) ​ Paradox - “unalienable rights” ​ Both blacks and whites for abolitionism and civil rights  ○​ They did not all agree on the best course of action ○​ Strategies different - not a uniform movement ○​ Civil rights: Stokely Carmichael (violence), MLK (nonviolent) ○​ Emigration vs anti-emigration ​ Anti: Believe they will never find acceptance in America ​ Believe that America is their home, not Africa The movement for African American emigration was distinct from the American Colonization Society, a white-led group that sought to send free Black people to Africa. Advocates of emigration viewed it as a way to escape white supremacy, while anti-emigrationists believed in fighting for equality and integration in the U.S. ​ ACS: send free black people to Africa ○​ White people afraid to have free black people everywhere ○​ Racist organization ○​ DIFFERENT from black emigrationists ​ Remember: manumission means a release from slavery ​ White flight, etc discriminatory actions to prevent black people from moving to places they didn’t want them to be (later topic) In the fight for freedom, radical resistance played a significant role. Opposing the moral suasion approach, which sought to end slavery through persuasion and moral appeals, advocates of radical resistance supported direct action, including revolts and, if necessary, violence. They leveraged publications that detailed the horrors of slavery to encourage enslaved African Americans to use any tactic, including violence, to achieve their freedom. Antislavery pamphlets were smuggled into the South as part of this radical resistance. The Underground Railroad, a covert network of Black and white abolitionists, also played a crucial role in helping enslaved people escape from the South to free territories in the North, Canada, and Mexico. An estimated thirty thousand African Americans reached freedom through this network. ​ Escape to Canada and Mexico as well ​ Different ideas in the abolitionist movement ○​ Appeals through proving hypocrisy and and showing humanity of slaves ​ Kiowa also had their own Underground Railroad In response to the growing number of escapes, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850, allowing local governments to legally kidnap and return escaped refugees to their enslavers. Despite these laws, the abolitionist movement, led by both Black and white activists, continued to demand that the United States live up to its ideals of liberty and equality. The movement spread through churches and organizations created specifically for this cause, while abolitionists engaged in heated debates and confrontations with those who upheld slavery. ​ Made it legal for free people to be kidnapped and made slaves ○​ Solomon Northup ○​ Article 6: federal has supremacy ○​ Local areas and laws that protected could not help ○​ Many bounty hunters because of this Directions: Complete each part of the assignment below to learn more about the abolition movement. All responses must be thorough and in your own words. Please do not change the formatting or font (bullet point, unless otherwise noted, or font size/color/type). Once complete, download as a PDF, then upload your responses to Canvas by the due date/time. NOTE: If absent, you must complete this assignment independently. Asking a classmate to share their assignment with you is never allowed and will result in an automatic zero for all parties involved. Part 1: Source Analysis Directions: As you read, analyze your assigned source carefully. Annotate the text by marking important points and writing brief notes to explain key ideas or record any questions or reactions you have. Look up any words that are difficult to understand if you cannot figure out their meaning from the context of the source. Focus on highlighting the main ideas and key details. Part 2: Meet the Abolitionists Mixer Directions: (1)​After being assigned one of the abolitionists from the linked reading, fill out your nametag with the Sharpie provided by the teacher, using the name and number of the individual you were assigned. (2)​Read through the 8 questions below to familiarize yourself with what you will be asked about your abolitionist during the mixer. (3)​Read your assigned role several times. Try to memorize as much of the information as possible in an effort to become an expert on your assigned abolitionist. (4)​Take notes on 5-6 of the most important facts about your character. You may refer to these notes if needed during the mixer. (5)​Circulate around the classroom and meet other abolitionists. Go to the opposite side of the room to meet your first abolitionist. Use the questions below as a guide to discuss their lives. As you meet other abolitionists, complete the questions below. When responding to the questions: ​ Include the name of the abolitionist you are referring to in each response. ​ You may use the same abolitionist to respond to multiple questions. However, all questions must be answered by the end of the activity. ​ You may not use your assigned abolitionist to answer any of the questions, and you must use each of the other abolitionists at least once. ○​ By the end of the mixer, you will have met with 9 different abolitionists. Activity ground rules: Students assigned the same person may not meet with themselves. Students may only meet with one abolitionist at a time, engaging with each other one-on-one. This is not a race. The goal is to spend time getting to know each other, not hurriedly getting the answers to the questions. This is a conversation-based activity. As a result, you must speak to each other and not simply show the other abolitionists your notes. If absent for activity: Complete this portion of the assignment on your own, using the linked reading above.  1.​ Find someone who has an opinion about whether the abolitionist movement should support women’s rights. Who are they? Why do they think this? ​ Sojourner Truth ○​ Speeches for the abolition movement ○​ Spoke about racism and sexism against women in speeches and activism ○​ Highlighted the unique struggles of female POC ​ Harriet Jacobs ○​ Sexually abused by her master which motivated her to support women's rights ○​ Believed female slaves had it worse than male ​ Maria W. Stewart ○​ One of the first woman to fight against oppression for women ​ Gave speeches and wrote a manifesto ○​ Black women did not get the same opportunities as white woman or black men ○​ Wanted black women to educate themselves as a way to diminish oppression 2.​ Find someone who supports the use of violence in self-defense or to end slavery. Who are they? Why do they think violence is necessary or what actions did they take? ​ Frederick Douglass ○​ Initially was against the use of violence, instead preferring moral persuasion. ○​ Later changed in philosophy as oppression continued ○​ Viewed as a necessary evil and a struggle that would be worth freedom ○​ Was anti-emigration, viewing the struggle to be for justice in the US rather than for fleeing to somewhere else ○​ Took inspiration from the successful resistance in the British West Indies ​ Henry Highland Garnet (me) 3.​ Find someone who does not support the use of violence to end slavery. Who are they? What nonviolent actions did they take? ​ Sojourner Truth ○​ Against violence, formed mutual aid societies ​ Paul Cuffee ○​ Nonviolence but supported emigration to Sierra Leone ​ Maria W. Stewart ○​ Preferred public speaking and writing books ○​ Argued against that black people are lazy ​ Frederick Douglass ○​ Initially was against the use of violence, instead preferring moral persuasion. ○​ Later changed in philosophy as oppression continued 4.​ Find someone who took part in the Underground Railroad. Who are they? What actions did they take to end slavery? ​ Harriet Tubman ○​ Born into slavery and escaped in 1849 to Canada ○​ Returned to the south 19 times leading around 80 slaves to freedom ○​ Relied on terrain, other people, spirituals, and the north star to lead them  5.​ Find someone who escaped slavery. What is their story? ​ Harriet Jacobs ○​ Enslaved in the South ○​ Forced into manual labor where she was sexually assaulted by her master and became pregnant ○​ Hid in a small garrett above her mother’s home and was eventually able to escape to the North and was reunited with her children ​ Frederick Douglass ○​ Escaped in 1838 ○​ His experiences inspired him to commit his life to the abolitionist movement 6.​ Find someone who was threatened, imprisoned, injured, or murdered for their attempts to end slavery or fight racism. What is their story? ​ 7.​ Find someone who wrote an influential book, essay, or published a newspaper. What was the name of the publication? Why was it influential? ​ Harriet Jacobs ○​ Novel: “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Written by Herself” ​ First narrative published by an enslaved black woman ​ Influential in the abolitionist movement ​ Appealed northern woman to not marry a slave owner ​ Paul Cuffee ○​ Letter to James Madison to get approval (emigration) ○​ Promote black communities in Africa ○​ Economic and social benefits ○​ Lead to the early emigration movement and inspired the liberation colonization movement ​ Maria W. Stewart ○​ Book: “Why Sit Here and Die?” ​ Challenged black people to rise up and fight against oppression ​ Ignorance kept black people from progressing ​ Laid groundwork for later civil rights movements and women’s suffrage ​ Martin R. Delaney ○​ Published novels and a manifesto titled “The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States, Politically Considered” ​ Pro-abolitionist and supported emigration to Central and South America, as Delaney was staunch in the opinion that racial equality would be impossible to achieve in the US ​ David Walker ○​ Titled “Appeal” ​ Walker heavily against emigration ​ Audience being the larger African diaspora, Thomas Jefferson, and the white population ​ Maintained that black people were not inferior to whites and that their condition was a result of systematic oppression rather than any inherent deficiencies ​ Highlighted the hypocrisy of American values ​ Terrible treatment of slaves despite America being built off of their labor and value ​ Ideas later lead to black religious nationalism which lead to the Nation of Islam ​ Mary Prince  ○​ Book of poetry, “The History of Mary Prince” ○​ Humanized black slaves, showing the terribly inhumane way they were treated and inspired sympathy for their plight and the abolitionist movement ○​ Inspired by Prince’s own experiences of being separated from her family ​ Harriet Jacobs ○​ First narrative published by an enslaved woman ​ Revealed the experience of black enslaved women specifically ​ Humanized them, empowered them 8.​ Find someone who played a role in the Civil War. Who are they? What was their experience? ​ Sojourner Truth ○​ Recruited black soldiers for the Civil War ​ Harriet Tubman ○​ Spy in the union army and lead combahee river raid in 1863 which freed 700 enslaved people ​ Martin R. Delaney ○​ Major in the Union Army ○​ First black field officer