The Anti-Slavery Movement

1. The Anti-Slavery Movement 8.3

2. Objectives • Describe the lives of enslaved and free African Americans in the 1800s • Indentify the leaders and tactics of the abolition movement. • Summarize the opposition to abolition

3. Key Parts • Life Under Slavery • The Lives of Free African Americans • The Fight Against Slavery • Working Against Abolition

4. Introduction • Read section 8.3 • On page 284 answer the two compare questions.

5. Life Under Slavery • Slaves suffered cruel treatment, they labored from dawn until dusk at backbreaking tasks. • They would primarily cultivate cotton fields, load freight onto ships, or prepare meals in scorching hot kitchens. • Their overseers punished the slaves physically with beatings, whippings, and maiming if they did not perform adequately.

6. Cont. • It was emotionally difficult for the slaves because they were often separated from their loved ones to help against uprisings. • They survived through making the best out of the situations and working together to endure the suffering. • Some decided to escape or begin revolts. • The underground railroad freed many slaves by giving them ways to escape up north or south to Mexico.

7. Cont. • There were over 200 slave revolts during the first half of the 19th century. • One of the most famous was Nat Turner’s revolt in 1831. • He escaped his plantation with a group of slaves and they gathered weapons from a local armory, killing 60 people along the way. • His group was stopped quickly by a local militia and Nat and his followers were found and killed.

8. The Fight Against Slavery • Many northern revolutionist began object slavery based on moral grounds. In 804 all states north of Maryland had passed legislation to end slavery. • In 1807 bringing any new slaves to any part of the United States from Africa was banned. • Soon after the abolition movement began.

9. Cont. • William Lloyd Garrison was one of the leading abolitionists, his goal was to spread the abolitionists society. • All of the abolitionist would travel and hold lectures of the importance and moral reasons for emacipation.

10. Working Against Abolition • Of course the Southerners resisted against abolition because they had to have slave to work the fields. • Also they were afraid of having to many uneducated African Americans around the country, they felt they would cause trouble and harm in the communities. • Many Northerners were against abolition as well.

11. Cont. • The Northerners were more concerned with the slaves taking the industrial jobs away from the lower class Irish and Germans as well as early colonist. • This is were slavery begins to divide the nation, so many people felt extremely passionate on each side of the argument.