Abstract This paper discusses the impact of the abolitionist movement on American history. In particular, the writer discusses the influence of the movement in ending slavery and affecting other forms of social change. The paper describes abolitionism initially as a resistance movement among slaves. The role of whites, the Church and women in the abolitionist movement is also discussed.
Outline
Abstract
Introduction
The Abolition Movement
Social Changes
Equal Rights for Women
Racial Amity
Constitutional Reforms
Conclusion
References
From the Paper "The abolitionist movement was active in the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. From a purely a black resistance movement against their masters in the 16th century, the abolitionist movement gained strength and found active involvement from the white community during the nineteenth century. Among the various reasons, the active intervention of the church and the motives of freedom that characterized the American revolution, had a strong bearing in the development of the abolition movement. Gradually, social changes began to creep in, at first in the northern states and much later in the southern states. Ever since the American revolution, the nation underwent a gradual social shift, which changed a hierarchical society that promoted slave trade and slave labor to its present state of the land of freedom and equality for all. Let us briefly study the abolition movement in context of its impact in achieving this transformation."
Abstract This paper studies John Brown, one of the most prominent and also controversial abolitionists. The paper begins with a review of Brown's personal history and then provides a detailed account of his abolitionist activities. Included are discussions of his relationship with Frederick Douglas, his often bloody battles with pro-slavery forces in Kansas, and his instigation of a slavery revolt in Harper's Ferry, Virginia. The latter half of the paper is dedicated to an assessment of this revolt, by analyzing Brown's own writings on the subject, as well as those of his colleagues, including Douglas.
From the Paper "On October 16, 1859 John Brown led 21 men in an attack on Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown's ultimate goal - which initially failed - was to begin an uprising of slaves that would eventually end slavery in the United States. In a time when many white men were supporters of slavery or, at the very least, indifferent to it, Brown spent most of his life as an active abolitionist. He helped finance anti-slavery activities and publications; gave land to fugitive slaves; and he and his wife agreed to raise a black youth as one of their own. Brown is undoubtedly one of the most prominent abolitionists of his day, but he is also the most controversial. Viewed by some as violent and insane, and others as a heroic martyr for a just cause, John Brown's actions are widely viewed as instrumental in the eventual start of the Civil War."
Abstract This paper discusses the role of American women in the abolitionist movement. It explores the key players, their contributions and how they influenced their male counterparts. It expands on the ways that female abolitionists challenged notions of separate male and female spheres. The author also mentions the way that immediatism led to feminism.
From the Paper "Abolitionist Movement American women had a significant impact on the abolitionist movement. Female abolitionists in fact became the leaders of the nation's first feminist movement and were instrumental in organizing the ..."
Abstract These essays examine the basis of class identity in Rochester in the 1830's; compares women's abolitionist efforts that were similar to other feminine involvement in reform; and analyzes the defining characteristics of slavery in the United States.
Abstract This paper will seek to reveal the ideas of Henry David Thoreau, and the philosophy of Transcendetal thought. By showing his support for the Abolitionist Movement of his time, we can see how he saw contradictions in American government on slavery.
Abstract This paper is set up as a newspaper from the Civil War era. It spotlights the life of abolitionists, Soujourner Truth, William Lloyd Garrison, Lucretia Mott, and Harriet Jacobs. It also includes articles on the daily life of slaves and the Underground Railroad.
From the paper:
"Sojourner Truth, famous abolitionist and women's rights advocate, died early in the morning of November 26, 1883 at the age of 86. She had long suffered from painful ulcers that had begun to cover her body in recent years. On November 28, in one of the largest funerals her hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan had ever seen, nearly 1,000 people gathered, forming a procession behind the hearse. Her casket bore the images of a cross, grain, a sickle, and a crown, all of symbolic significance to Truth. The services, at a nearby church, were well attended by fellow activists, many of whom eulogized about their fallen leader's strength and dedication (Krass p.103)."
Abstract This paper discusses the transformation of the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin", by Harriet Beecher Stowe into a cultural icon. It looks at how the creation and recreation of the text by its readers, adapters and its foremost opponents, helped to polarize the abolitionist debate. The paper suggests that the responses to and adaptations of the text of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" provided a means by which the novel assumed a principal role in American culture through various media--the theatre, film, posters, paintings, follow-on writings, essays and press coverage. Finally, the paper suggests that the articulation and reconstruction of the text by its readers brought on a range of social and political meanings and results.
Background: The Origins of a Living Document
Introduction
North and South Polarized
Critics Respond
The Abolitionist Debates
The Tom Caricature
The Greatest Impact
From the Paper "In what way did this text change the traditional relationship between reader and the novel? The reader became the author, interpreter, director, actor, witness and part and parcel of the story. The story, instead of being about life, became life, and life in turn became its own version of the story. In this context of slavery, religion, melodrama, and family crisis, Uncle Tom's Cabin can be viewed as a cultural pattern instead of an isolated work. Almost as soon as it was published as a novel, Stowe's story was adapted for the American stage; from 1852 until well into the twentieth century, adaptations of Uncle Tom's Cabin were among the most popular productions that a theater company could stage. Stowe, however, never condoned nor participated in developing the productions, nor did she earn any money from these adaptations."
Abstract This paper examines the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson, born in Boston, Mass., on May 25, 1803, a philosopher, essayist, and poet. It looks at how Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the Transcendentalists, a group of thinkers that also included Henry David Thoreau, who were interested in a spirituality that had little to do with formalized religion. It also explores how he was an abolitionist and how he held true to his beliefs, taking action individually to advance his ideas regarding the remaking of his world into one more in accord with what he saw as the natural state of man. That natural state, for Emerson, included culture, freedom of religion, and considerate treatment of others. It looks at how it was only natural that he would extend its reach beyond the Native American to the American slave and how he reconciled those activities with his belief in individuality by viewing the abolitionist movement as a group of individuals acting on their own at the same time to accomplish a greatly desired change in their world.
From the Paper "Perhaps the least known of Emerson's actions taken to change his world concerned abolitionism. As early as 1844, Emerson was commenting in public on the ?Emancipation of the Negroes in the British West Indies,? which historians say was a departure from his previous thoughts on abolition. But that summer, he refined his thoughts on the divisive issue, and in keeping with his belief that action must follow thought, he became an active abolitionist, setting forth his beliefs in the Emancipation address in Concord, Mass., on August 1, 1844. Biographer Len Gougeon, in his book Virtue's Hero: Emerson, Antislavery and Reform, concluded that with that speech, Emerson ?made the transition from antislavery to abolition.? (Quoted by Earhart, 1999)"
A review of Otto J. Scott's "The Secret Six: John Brown and the Abolitionist Movement", one of the most comprehensive looks at America preceding the Civil War.
892 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 0 sources, 2008, $ 31.95
Abstract The paper looks at Otto J. Scott's "The Secret Six: John Brown and the Abolitionist Movement" where Scott explores the origin, meaning and consequence of modern terrorism through a discussion of the radicalism of the early abolitionist movement. The paper asserts that Scott's personal agenda is evident throughout the book, and he therefore can not be established as a credible author. The paper concludes, however, that in general he would recommend this book for its entertaining and disturbing analysis into the minds of John Brown and his six co-conspirators.
From the Paper "Scott is concerned in this book with the radicalism of the early abolitionist movement; he explores the origin, meaning and consequence of modern terrorism. The book follows the story of the "Secret Six" the six wealth individuals who funded and encouraged Brown in his murders and plans for revolution. These six individuals were all well respected members of society, Thomas Higginson, Samuel Howe, Theodore Parker, Gerrit Smith, Franklin Sanborn and George Luther Stearns. These individuals not only encouraged Brown to commit his acts but actively collected money to fun him. They were able to raise over a period of three years, enough money for Brown to assemble a strong artillery staple needed for his revolution."
Abstract The paper discusses the life story and activities of Harriet Tubman. In discussing the book "Harriet Tubman: The Life and Life Stories" by Jean Humez the paper relates that Tubman was an African-American abolitionist who was originally a slave and, after escaping from slavery, assisted in the rescue of friends and family. The paper states that her most important role was that of abolitionist and the fact that she had liberated countless slaves. The paper concludes that Harriet Tubman had a strong impact on others, and continues to do so today, many years after her death.
From the Paper " In 1871, a man named William Still published a work entitled The Underground Railroad, and in it he included a thorough description of Tubman and the work that she did. Still's work captured the seriousness of the issue and how much effort and time Tubman actually put into what she was doing (Humez, 2003). It also told first-hand accounts of some of the people that she had helped and how this had taken place. Arrangements were made at night and Harriet would go with a group of others to rescue individuals that were put in carriages and other transportation and spirited away. The operation was carried out quickly and quietly, with a well-organized plan and a minimum of fuss, which ensured that it worked well and put the people in as little danger as was possible given what they were doing (Humez, 2003)."In 1871, a man named William Still published a work entitled The Underground Railroad, and in it he included a thorough description of Tubman and the work that she did. Still's work captured the seriousness of the issue and how much effort and time Tubman actually put into what she was doing (Humez, 2003). It also told first-hand accounts of some of the people that she had helped and how this had taken place. Arrangements were made at night and Harriet would go with a group of others to rescue individuals that were put in carriages and other transportation and spirited away. The operation was carried out quickly and quietly, with a well-organized plan and a minimum of fuss, which ensured that it worked well and put the people in as little danger as was possible given what they were doing."
Abstract This is an analysis of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin." The author draws several comparisons between Uncle Tom, the main character, and symbol of slavery, and Jesus Christ, the symbol of Christianity. Stowe wanted to show the world what a cancer slavery was, and how it went against Christian values, in the hopes of swaying people to join the cause of the abolitionists.
From the Paper "Stowe's "collection of sketches" were clearly written to show her readers that Christianity and slavery were antithetical - and in the end, the icon of Christianity in the novel is beaten down by the personification of all that is evil about slavery. Stowe's portrait of Tom emphasizes his boundless goodness, his unconditional love for all of mankind, his willingness to turn the other cheek, his loyalty to his masters - earthly and heavenly - and his drive to always evolve into a better Christian man. Tom's vision of Christianity is the same as Christ's - that salvation and final judgement must be laid at the feet of God, and that all men are brothers who should do to others what they would have done to themselves."
Abstract This paper reviews the process of legalizing prostitution in the Netherlands. It looks at the history of prostitution in the region, tracing the views of the prohibitionists and the abolitionists, citing the Dutch Morality Act and the Dutch Brothel Act of 1911 and following the development of the regulation of the trade through to the modern day.
From the Paper "The history of the Netherlands and the mentality shared by both the government and the citizens is a major aspect of the country's legalization of prostitution. For centuries, Rotterdam, was known as one of the most prominent European ports. With thousands of sailors passing through the Dutch city, the existence of prostitution in the area was uncontrollable. Unlike many countries during the same time, the Dutch government chose to stay out of the sex lives of their citizens and therefore prostitution seemed to exist in a grey area of Dutch society. The open tolerance of prostitution continued until the religious Calvinist revolution in the early 1900?s. This religious upheaval created open debates on the effect of prostitution on the moral standards of society. Two schools of thought emerged in the debate, the prohibitionists and the abolitionists."
Abstract The paper begins with a description of the abolitionist movement. The role of white women in the movement is then discussed, including motivations for involvement, such as empathy with others considered second-class citizens, and personal relationships with slaves.
From the Paper "During the 1800's when the anti-slave movement began the main champions for the ending of slavery other than slaves themselves were white women. White women sympathized and even helped slaves; one notable example was the Underground Railroad, where some white women risked their homes and possibly even their lives to help slaves escape to the North. Some white women stood side by side in full public view with slaves proudly demonstrating their support for the anti slavery movement. On the surface it would seem that white women and slaves would have very little if anything at all in common. However, such an assumption would be far from the truth. The abolitionist movement was about human suffering and human rights, the quest for justice, liberty, equality and freedom resounded within the hearts and minds of women who silently longed to be free themselves. While it was whites that enslaved Blacks, it was primarily white men who involved themselves in the business of buying and selling slaves, it was white men who owned the property and the land that the slaves toiled on day and night. At the same time, white women had few if any rights. White women felt as if the same shackles that bound the slaves bound them as well. The words orated by slaves who spoke of the yearning to be free also struck a cord among women. Women begin to take issue with slavery and later as history revealed women began to fight for freedom for themselves. It was the above-mentioned reasons that women were so attracted to the anti slavery movement, and pursued the cause with a vengeance."
Abstract This paper describes the historical and biographical context in which Stanton was able to emerge as a public figure. The paper focuses on Stanton's boyhood and early years in the Ohio Valley, as well as his early associations with the abolitionist movement in the antebellum period. The author points out that Stanton had bouts of depression and obsessive-compulsive behavior, which is a significant because of his tendentious, bombastic and moralistic behavior that marked his later professional life.
From the Paper "The principal personal characteristics about Stanton that emerge from an examination of his early life are his careerist ambition and his conviction about and confidence in his ability to accurately analyze contingent situations and to exploit such situations with energy, screened by expressions of a sense of moral mission, positioning himself favorably with respect to them. That out of these characteristics grew a series of personal career accomplishments, personal behavior that could be interpreted as psychologically obsessive and controlling, and a sense of moral entitlement to privilege and unconditional positive regard by his peers (whatever he may thought of them) may be inferred from the course of events in his life that preceded his appointment to Lincoln's cabinet as Secretary of War. Sandburg describes Stanton as a "nervous, asthmatic, strong man of many contradictions"."
Abstract The paper explains that the image of the Antebellum South being dominated by large slave-driven plantations is wrong. Only 25% of Southern families owned slaves, and half of those who did own slaves owned four or fewer. The author points out that there were Southern abolitionists, promoted by many prominent leaders of the time, including Virginia Governor John Floyd, who wished for a law that would gradually abolish slavery in Virginia. The paper relates that this era of conflict serves as a backdrop for the three works, each relating to slavery in the Antebellum period. The three works reviewed are "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave" (Frederick Douglass), "Huckleberry Finn" (Mark Twain), and "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (Harriet Beecher Stowe).
From the Paper "During the Antebellum Period, the American South was an agrarian and chivalric society, built on the sweat and toil of African American slaves. This was in stark contrast to the industrialization occurring in the Northern states. This Old South ?was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields (? with) the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair? . It is this sentimental, nostalgic view that is often thought of when one thinks of the Antebellum Period. Yet, despite the images of grand plantations with their sweeping staircases, and people speaking with soft, Southern drawls, the reality of an entire race of people brutally used as nothing more than livestock cannot be ignored."
