Objective 2 -- The Abolitionist Movement

Summary

This video script delves into the contentious history of slavery in America, highlighting the Constitutional Convention's three-fifths compromise and the rise of abolitionism in the 1800s. It discusses the American Colonization Society's efforts to resettle freed slaves in Liberia, the influential role of figures like William Lloyd Garrison, and the contributions of African Americans, including Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. The script also addresses the Fugitive Slave Act's impact and the Underground Railroad's critical role in aiding escape to freedom.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was a pivotal moment where the contentious issue of slavery was addressed, leading to the Three-Fifths Compromise.
• 📊 The compromise allowed slave states to count their slaves as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation purposes, which was a contentious decision.
• 🔄 The early 1800s saw a rise in the abolitionist movement, with preachers and social reformers questioning the morality of slavery and advocating for its end.
• 🌐 The American Colonization Society, founded in 1816, aimed to gradually reduce slavery by resettling freed slaves in Africa, particularly in Liberia.
• 📈 The invention of the cotton gin in the late 18th century led to a cotton boom, increasing the demand for slave labor and the number of slaves in America.
• 📰 William Lloyd Garrison's publication, The Liberator, became a significant voice in the anti-slavery movement, advocating for immediate emancipation.
• 👭 Angelina and Sarah Grimke, from a slave-owning family, became influential abolitionists, using their experiences to expose the cruelties of slavery.
• 🏛️ John Quincy Adams, a former U.S. President, proposed an amendment to abolish slavery but it was never ratified.
• 📚 Free African Americans played a crucial role in the abolitionist movement, facing discrimination yet organizing and advocating for civil rights.
• 🚂 The Underground Railroad was a secret network that helped slaves escape to freedom, with figures like Harriet Tubman playing key roles in guiding them to safety.
• 📜 The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was a law that required the return of runaway slaves and further galvanized the abolitionist movement in the North.

Q & A

What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?

The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which decided that slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of determining a state's population for representation in Congress.

How did the religious revival in the early 1800s influence the abolitionist movement?

The religious revival and social reform movement in the early 1800s fueled a resurgence in the abolitionist movement, with preachers and ministers questioning the morality of slavery and considering it an abomination against God.

What was the American Colonization Society's approach to dealing with slavery?

The American Colonization Society, founded in 1816, focused on gradually resettling freed slaves back to Africa, primarily in a colony known as Liberia, to start new lives as free men.

What was the impact of the cotton gin on slavery in the United States?

The introduction of the cotton gin allowed southern plantation owners to mass-produce cotton, leading to a cotton boom and increasing the dependence on slave labor, which in turn caused the number of slaves in America to explode.

Who was William Lloyd Garrison and what was his contribution to the abolitionist movement?

William Lloyd Garrison was an influential writer and publisher who established 'The Liberator,' one of the most popular anti-slavery newspapers of the era. He called for the immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves in America.

What role did the Grimke sisters play in the abolitionist movement?

Angelina and Sarah Grimke were sisters from a wealthy slave-owning family in South Carolina who became prominent voices in the abolitionist movement. They spoke out against slavery, wrote a book detailing the cruelty of slave life, and freed the slaves they inherited from their mother.

What was the significance of the Supreme Court case 'The United States v. The Amistad Africans'?

In this case, former President John Quincy Adams defended a group of illegally transported slaves who mutinied aboard the Spanish ship La Amistad. Adams successfully won their freedom, marking a significant legal victory for the abolitionist cause.

How did free African Americans in the north contribute to the abolitionist movement?

Free African Americans in the north played a significant role by organizing chapters of the American Anti-Slavery Society, subscribing to abolitionist papers, and advocating for civil rights. They also contributed to publications like 'Freedom's Journal,' which spoke out against slavery.

What was the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and how did it affect the abolitionist movement?

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required all citizens, even in free states, to help catch and return runaway slaves to their owners. This law enraged northerners, strengthened the abolitionist movement, and led to increased efforts to help runaway slaves through the Underground Railroad.

Who was Harriet Tubman and what was her role in the Underground Railroad?

Harriet Tubman was an escaped slave who became the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad. She returned to the south 19 times to help lead slaves to freedom and is estimated to have helped free around 70 people from slavery, including her own parents.

How did the abolitionist movement of the 1800s lay the groundwork for the civil rights movement?

The abolitionist movement sowed the seeds for the civil rights movement by fighting for the emancipation of slaves and advocating for equal rights. It served as a voice for the enslaved and set the stage for future struggles against racial inequality.

Outlines

00:00

🗽 The Struggle for Abolition

The paragraph discusses the contentious history of slavery in the United States, starting from the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It highlights the Three-Fifths Compromise, which allowed slave states to count slaves as three-fifths of a person for representation in Congress. The paragraph also covers the religious revival and social reform movement that fueled the abolitionist movement, the early efforts of the American Colonization Society, and the cotton boom that increased the demand for slave labor. It mentions key figures like William Lloyd Garrison, the Grimke sisters, and John Quincy Adams, who all played significant roles in the abolitionist movement. The paragraph concludes with the rise of the anti-slavery movement in literature and the press, emphasizing the call for immediate emancipation of slaves.

05:02

🌟 African American Voices in Abolition

This paragraph focuses on the contributions of African Americans to the abolitionist movement. It discusses the establishment of the American anti-slavery society chapters by African Americans, the publication of 'Freedom's Journal', and the radical writings of David Walker. The paragraph also highlights the stories of Frederick Douglass, who became a prominent speaker and editor, and Sojourner Truth, who advocated for both abolition and women's rights. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 is mentioned, which required citizens to assist in capturing runaway slaves, leading to increased tensions between the North and the South. The Underground Railroad, a network that helped slaves escape to freedom, is also discussed, with a focus on Harriet Tubman's role as a conductor. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the abolitionist movement's role in advocating for the rights of enslaved people and setting the stage for the civil rights movement.

Keywords

💡Slavery

Slavery refers to the condition of being owned by someone or being under control of another person against one's own will. In the context of the video, it is a deeply dividing issue since the birth of the nation. The script discusses how slave states and free states debated over the representation of slaves in Congress, leading to the three-fifths compromise.

💡Three-fifths Compromise

The Three-fifths Compromise was a decision reached during the Constitutional Convention in 1787, stating that slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of taxation and representation in Congress. This concept was a major point of contention and is highlighted in the script as a pivotal moment in the early history of the United States.

💡Abolitionist Movement

The Abolitionist Movement was a social reform effort to end slavery. The script describes its resurgence in the early 1800s, with preachers and ministers questioning the morality of slavery and social reform groups viewing it as an obstacle to a perfect society.

💡American Colonization Society

The American Colonization Society, founded in 1816, was an organization focused on resettling freed slaves back to Africa, specifically in Liberia. The script mentions this as the largest early abolitionist effort, although it did little to stop the growth of slavery in America.

💡Cotton Gin

The cotton gin is a machine invented by Eli Whitney that revolutionized cotton processing by quickly and easily removing seeds from cotton fibers. The script notes that its introduction allowed southern plantation owners to mass-produce cotton, increasing their dependence on slave labor.

💡Gradual Abolition

Gradual Abolition refers to the idea of phasing out slavery over time. The script discusses how early abolition efforts focused on this approach, but as the number of slaves increased, reformers became frustrated and sought more immediate solutions.

💡The Liberator

The Liberator was an anti-slavery newspaper established by William Lloyd Garrison. The script highlights its significance as it called for the immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves, which was a bold stance at the time and helped to inspire new abolition groups.

💡Grimke Sisters

Angelina and Sarah Grimke were sisters from a wealthy slave-owning family who became prominent voices in the abolitionist movement. The script mentions their move to Philadelphia, their book 'American Slavery as it is', and their actions to free the slaves they inherited.

💡Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was a secret network that helped runaway slaves escape to freedom. The script describes how it was run by northern whites and free blacks, using safe houses and secret routes to evade capture.

💡Fugitive Slave Act

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was a law that required all citizens, even in free states, to help capture and return runaway slaves to their owners. The script explains how this law emboldened slaveholders and enraged northerners, strengthening the abolitionist movement.

💡Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was an escaped slave who became famous for her role as a conductor of the Underground Railroad. The script details her personal journey to freedom and her subsequent efforts to help others escape, including leading over 70 people to freedom.

Highlights

Slavery was a major point of contention at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

The three-fifths compromise was passed, declaring slaves accounted as three-fifths of a person for representation.

Religious revival and social reform movements in the early 1800s fueled a resurgence in the abolitionist movement.

Abolitionists viewed slavery as counterproductive to the promise of an ideal democratic society.

The American Colonization Society was founded in 1816 with the goal of resettling freed slaves in Africa.

The cotton gin's invention led to a cotton boom and increased dependence on slave labor.

William Lloyd Garrison established the anti-slavery newspaper The Liberator, calling for immediate emancipation.

The American Anti-Slavery Society was founded in 1833 with over 1,000 chapters by 1840.

Angelina and Sarah Grimke, from a wealthy slave-owning family, became prominent abolitionist voices.

Former President John Quincy Adams proposed an amendment to abolish slavery but it was never ratified.

Free African Americans in the north played a significant role in the abolitionist movement.

David Walker, a free black man, wrote a radical piece challenging African Americans to overthrow slavery by force.

Frederick Douglass, a former slave, became a prominent abolitionist speaker and editor.

Sojourner Truth, an escaped slave, advocated for abolition and women's rights.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required citizens to help return runaway slaves, strengthening the abolitionist movement.

The Underground Railroad was a secret network that helped runaway slaves escape to freedom.

Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave, became famous for her work with the Underground Railroad, helping over 70 people to freedom.

The abolitionist movement laid the groundwork for the civil rights movement in the decades to come.

Transcripts

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slavery had been a deeply dividing issue

since the birth of the nation at the

Constitutional Convention in 1787 it was

a major point of contention over state

representation in Congress slave states

argued that their slaves should count

towards the population when calculating

representation in Congress free states

argued that slaves are not afforded

citizenship rights and therefore should

not be allowed to count towards a

state's population size eventually the

convention passed the three-fifths

compromise which declared that slaves

account as three-fifths of a person when

counted towards a state's population

size the convention also allowed states

to choose for themselves whether slavery

was permitted in their territories a

religious revival and social reform

movement in the early 1800s helped fuel

a resurgence in the abolitionist

movement preachers and ministers began

to openly question the morality of

slavery and considered it an abomination

against God citing the Hebrews of the

Old Testament and freedom from slavery

in Egypt many new churches through their

full support behind abolition social

reform groups saw slavery as an obstacle

to a perfect society

reformers viewed slavery as

counterproductive to the promise of an

ideal Democratic Society America could

not be perfect until it upholds its

creed that all men are created equal

early abolition efforts in America

focused on a gradual reduction of

slavery over time the largest early

abolitionist effort was led by the

American Colonization Society founded in

1816 by white Virginians this group

focused on gradually resettling freed

slaves back to Africa the group raised

funds and bought slaves from their

owners and then sent them to a colony in

Africa known as Liberia so they could

start new lives as free men and

by 1865 it is estimated that up to

20,000 former slaves resettled in

Liberia which became an independent

country

in 1847 ultimately the ACS did little to

slow or stop slavery in America because

the number of slaves brought to the

United States increased at to greater

rate while some former slaves refused to

leave the country of their birth by 1800

southern plantation owners could now

mass-produce cotton

due to the introduction of the cotton

gin this led to a cotton boom and

southern planters became even more

dependent on slave labor as a result the

number of slaves in America exploded and

the slave trade had new life reformers

had grown frustrated with the idea of

gradual abolition and so a new course

was needed by 1830 slavery became the

most pressing issue in America and the

abolition movement revitalized the

anti-slavery movement found his strong

voice in literature the media and the

press one of its most influential

writers and publishers was william lloyd

garrison garrison established the most

popular anti-slavery newspaper of the

era The Liberator through his paper

Garrison called for the immediate and

complete emancipation of all slaves in

America which was a bold and radical new

stance the Liberator was very popular

and it inspired reformers to found new

abolition groups throughout the North

including the American anti-slavery

society in 1833 by 1840 the society had

over 1,000 chapters

cringes Angelina and Sarah Grimke were

sisters from a wealthy slave-owning

family in South Carolina who became

prominent voices in the abolitionist

movement in 1832 the sisters moved to

Philadelphia where they spoke out

against slavery and wrote a book that

included first-hand accounts of the

cruelty of slave life their book

American slavery as it is sold more than

100,000 copies in its first year the

Grimke sisters were amongst the first

women to lend their voices to the

abolitionist movement when their mother

died the Grimke sisters took the slaves

they inherited in her will and

immediately freed them in 1839 former

President John Quincy Adams proposed a

new amendment to the Constitution that

would have abolished slavery in the

United States the amendment would have

allowed slavery in the new state of

Florida but would have a banned slavery

in all future territories and States the

amendment was never ratified in 1841

Adams defended a group of slaves in the

Supreme Court case the United States v

the Amistad Africans the slaves had been

illegally transported aboard the Spanish

ship La Amistad when they mutiny and

killed the officers on board

Adams successfully won the slaves their

freedom and provided his legal services

free of charge free african-americans in

the north played a huge role in the

abolitionist movement many northern

blacks lived in the cities and faced

discrimination and segregation denied

jobs and attacked by white mobs northern

blacks saw abolition as a step in the

fight for civil rights african-americans

organized chapters of the American

anti-slavery society and subscribe to

abolitionist papers like The Liberator

the nation's first African American

newspaper freedoms journal was published

and spoke out against slavery

David Walker a free black man from

Boston who became a radical voice in the

abolitionist movement wrote a piece that

challenged African Americans to

overthrow slavery by force in 1830

leaders of the free african-american

community gathered in Philadelphia and

discussed opening African American

colleges and mass emigration to Canada

to escape persecution Frederick Douglass

was a former slave who became the most

prominent African American

of the 19th century born a slave in

Maryland Douglass taught himself to read

and write and then escape to

Massachusetts he joined the American

anti-slavery society and delivered

powerful addresses that reduced his

audiences to tears Douglass edited for

the anti-slavery newspaper the North

Star for 16 years and became an

influential writer and order Douglass

traveled to London and the West Indies

and spoke to large anti-slavery

audiences throughout his life Douglass

advocated that African Americans not

only be emancipated from slavery but be

granted their full citizenship rights as

equals with white Americans Sojourner

Truth was an escaped slave who spoke out

for abolition and women's rights her

real name was Isabella Baum free and she

was born a slave in New York in 1826

Bell escaped from her master's cellar

and fled to freedom once free truth

relied on friends to track down her son

who had been sold off and separated from

her years earlier reunited with two of

her children Truth settled in New York

City where she worked as a housemaid and

preached in the streets against the

brutality of slavery

Sojourner means traveler and she chose

her name because she professed that she

will walk in the light of God's truth in

1850 Congress passed the Fugitive Slave

Act this law required that all citizens

even in free States help catch and

return runaway slaves to their owners

citizens who helped a fugitive slave

escaped could be fined or imprisoned

slaveholders grew more emboldened after

the passage of the law some traveled

north and forced former slaves back into

slavery after living in freedom for

years some slaveholders apprehended

freemen who were never slaves and

wrongfully forced them into bondage

southerners hoped the law would force

northerners to acknowledge their right

to own slaves but it only enraged

northerners and it strengthened the

abolitionist movement many Northerners

refused to cooperate with the Fugitive

Slave Act and actually stepped up

efforts to help Runaways escape the

Underground Railroad was a secret

network run by northern whites and free

blacks that use safe houses secret rooms

tunnels and trails to help runaway

slaves evade recap

fugitive slaves would hide in cellars

and holding pins in houses owned by

whites who were sympathetic to the

abolitionist movement when the coast was

clear of slave hunters guides would then

take the Runaways to free states in the

north so they could gain their freedom

some runaway slaves fled to Canada to

avoid slave hunters and escape the

threat of slavery once and for all

Harriet Tubman was an escaped slave who

became the most famous conductor of the

Underground Railroad Tubman worked as a

field slave until she was nearly 30

years old before escaping to

Philadelphia through the Underground

Railroad in the north she met

abolitionists who shared her passion to

help slaves escape to freedom as she had

knowing the risks of being recaptured

Tubman returned to the south 19 times to

help lead slaves to freedom through the

Underground Railroad

in all Tubman helped free around 70

people from slavery including her own

parents the abolitionist movement that

was born in the 1800's with sowed the

seeds that would blossom into the civil

rights movement in the decades to come

the nation would continue to struggle

with the necessity and the morality of

slavery and the abolition movement would

be the voice of the enslaved and fight

for emancipation

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