After the abolition of slavery, britain paid millions in. Recapsummary the first reason that the south was for slavery, was that if they didnt have slaves their economy would collapse. Basically throughout the 1900s, the north and south acted somewhat childishly towards each other about different topics. Britains involvement in the transatlantic slave trade started in the 16th century. Slaves were private property, the government had no jurisdiction in that area. The sanction of the almighty in the patriarchal age stringfellow 6. In a brilliant chapter in the liberal tradition in america louis hartz has placed the political theory of the southern defenders in perspective, and william r. Southern slaveholders often used biblical passages to justify slavery. Slavery used legal, religious, and economic arguments to defend the institution essay sample. Slavery existed for thousands of years, in all sorts of societies and all parts of the world.
Pro slavery arguments 1banning slavery would deprive slave owners of their property their slaves 2 african americans were better off enslaved than free because slave owners in. To make songs easier to learn, new words were set to familiar tunes. The debate over the slave trade campaign against the. When will britain face up to its crimes against humanity. How christian slaveholders used the bible to justify slavery. London merchant who owned slaves in tobago, made fanciful arguments to. Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, was the movement to end slavery.
Abolition, antislavery movements, and the rise of the sectional. I have found that the bible basically says you can own slaves, sell slaves, and beat slaves. Southern justification of slavery the following arguments were put forth in southern books, pamphlets and newspapers to defend the institution of slavery. What were the key arguments abolitionists used against. The passage of the fugitive slave act in 1850 made it legal for slaveholders to pursue escaped. Quakers from the outset believed that each person had an element of the divine that of god within him or her. As far as morals are concerned, its widely excepted in todays society that slavery is wrong. When a battle goes to the point where there is no winner there needs to be a reevaluation of how to solve the problem. Slaves were incapable of taking care of themselves. The defenders of slavery in the south had several arguments that they used to rationalize slavery.
The second reason that the south was for slavery was that they said that in the bible, abraham had slaves so why shouldnt they. This extract, taken from chapter twelve of the interesting narrative, contains equianos arguments against the slave trade, in particular, his argument that the trade did not make sound economic sense. Lunar society was established at birmingham, england, in 1766, with matthew bolton 17281809, darwin and william small 17341775 playing the most important roles in the society. But the struggle against slavery also inspired some of the finest values and politics in american history, from. Ten books on slavery you need to read politico magazine. One, that slavery was a natural state of mankind and has existed throughout histroy.
In the decades leading up to the civil war, sectional tensions between north and south manifested themselves in both popular and political discourse. The story of an american muslim, the struggle for the soul of a generation b. They will develop their understanding by identifying and articulating the various arguments that people made against the institution of slavery and the different proposals made to try and end slavery. Which of the following was an argument against slavery. He is the author of numerous books, most recently arguing about slavery, which won the d. Abolitionists arguments summary harsh conditions violated christian principals and natural rights of all people for equality economic inefficiencies key arguments abolitionists used against slavery. Long before the end of the civil war in the united states, william wilberforce began the effort to abolish slavery in the british empire. The bible was also used extensively by the defenders of slavery in support of human bondage. Those who defended slavery rose to the challenge set forth by the abolitionists.
Northerners in the mid19th century found the situation in their own region already sufficiently intolerable, owing. What was an argument used to try to justify slavery answers. The campaign for an end to the slave trade, the abolition campaign, was supported by many. Priestleys arguments against slavery, therefore, are more or less influenced by both darwin and smith. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in. Critics of abolition argued that it contradicted the u. This term can be used both formally and informally. Proslavery thought in the old south bedford books 2003, 96128.
Constitution, a great debate between abolitionists and those who wanted to preserve slavery raged on. Garrison collected his work in sonnets and other poems 1843. I need to do a debate on this in a few weeks and i know the people i am debating against will bring up quotes from the bible. The proslavery lobby put forward a number of arguments to defend the trade and show how important it was to britain. The abolitionists saw slavery as an abomination and an affliction on the. No christian theologian living today would support slavery. Southern arguments for slavery essay 453 words bartleby.
Southern plantation owners depended heavily on slavery. Mathews has recently shown, this viewpoint was just as natural and consistent as was evangelical. None of them would find much favour today, but at various times in history. Basker to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the emancipation proclamation, the library of america has compiled an impressive collection of antislavery writings from the late 17th century through to the passage of the thirteenth amendment. Raising the moral issue slavery, bondage and serfdom had been the norm for ordinary people for most of history worldwide up to and during the 18th century.
Does the old testament or new testament condone slavery. Calhoun, and william joseph harper were some of the men most famous for propagating the proslavery argument. In the united states the american civil war 18611865 is one of the most significant events in american history, and in the years prior to this precipitous event the debates over slavery constitute one of the most dominating themes in american life. Slavery is bad for society because it prevents individual and societal growth. He has been an editor and writer on a political magazine, a speechwriter, and a threeterm alderman.
The proslavery supporters used the bible to suggest that the slave trade was tolerated and approved of by god in the days of abraham. Benjamin lay, a quaker who saw slavery as a notorious sin, addresses this 1737 volume to those who pretend to lay claim to the pure and holy christian religion. List of books and articles about slavery online research. Resistance to slavery took many forms, from passively avoiding labor to actively running away, committing individual acts of arson or violence, or even organizing rebellions. Harper, william, james henry hammond, william gilmore simms on. The pro slavery lobby put forward a number of arguments to defend the trade and show how important it was to britain. To imagine human social life without it required an extraordinary effort. Without slavery the former slaves would run amuck, stealing, raping, killing, and generally causing mayhem. Throughout the history of the united states, there have always been conflicts between the north and the south.
Abolitionists focused attention on slavery and made it difficult to ignore. Yet, from time to time, eccentrics emerged to oppose it, most of them arguing that slavery is a moral monstrosity and therefore people should get rid of it. The merchants, traders and plantation owners who had a direct interest in the trade began to work against the abolition campaign. The act of employing to the greatest possible advantage. The trade was necessary to the success and wealth of britain. The southerners held ever firmer to their arguments as the political tensions in the country drew us ever closer to the civil war. One author, thornton stringfellow, wrote scriptural and statistical views in favor of slavery, in an attempt to show, with the use of scripture, that slavery had. Arguing against slavery historical society of pennsylvania. As maintained by the most distinguished writers of the southern states.
Before the civil war and the ratification of the th amendment to the u. Even though abolitionism, as a political cause, remained unpopular in the north and south, antislavery literature such as harriet beecher stowes uncle toms cabin 1852, solomon northups twelve years a slave. Stantons the leopards spots revealingly analyzes the scientific arguments used to bolster slavery. The case against abolition the debate over the slave. Published in richmond, virginia, in 1857, and aimed at both northern and southern readers, it sought to claim for the south the moral high ground in the increasingly fierce national debate over slavery.
Although some quakers held slaves, no religious group was more outspoken against slavery from the seventeenth century until slaverys demise. Colonial beginnings to emancipation edited by james g. Ten reasons not to abolish slavery mises institute. What arguments did abolitionists make against slavery. The abolitionist movement was the effort to end slavery, led by famous. The south, eager to conserve the status quo, developed a bellicose defense of the system, which was hardened by such factors as the slave uprising led by nat turner, the troubles over fugitive slaves, and the very active. A north east story scotland, africa and slavery in the caribbean learning resource 3 abolition and emancipation topic 8 arguments for abolishing the slave trade the first organised campaign against the slave trade began in the 1780s. Slavery was the economic foundation in the southern states during the 1800s.
This argument is developed to explain that god recognized slavery. He used verse as a vehicle for enhancing antislavery sentiment. While under the common core standards cannibals all. For southern clergy, the religious argument against slavery could be and was. In the 1776 book the wealth of nations, adam smith argued for the abolition of slavery on economic grounds. The merchants and planters warned that abolition would mean ruin for britain, as the whole economy would collapse. Gradually, over time, people from all walks of life started to speak out against it. What were the key arguments abolitionists used against slavery. On 3 august 1835, somewhere in the city of london, two of europes most famous. The south also used religion as their argument, but instead, they used the bible to argue that slavery was an acceptable part of life. Abolitionists used moral arguments to counteract the case made by their proslavery counterparts.
Work done under harsh conditions for little or no pay. Comprising the writings of hammond, harper, christy, stringfellow, hodge, bledsoe, and cartwright, on this important subject e. Throughout the revolution, southern politicians argued that slaves were prop erty, not persons. Arguments for slavery a large number of americans wanted to keep slavery as abolishing it would dramatically change their lifestyle. The small northern farmer also feared slavery as a system of cheap labor against which it was difficult to compete.
In the case of the war against drugs, years of fighting have caused increased crime, overcrowding of prisons and the wasted use of money and resources with no results. Preservation of social order therefore rules out the abolition of slavery. The religious defense of american slavery before 1830. While it is true that antislavery sentiment that had developed during the revolutionary period did not disappear. Politicians in the union used the issue of slavery as justification for the civil war, while citizens used slavery as a basis for their anticonfederacy sentiment. Cotton, their main export, required tedious slave labor. Various arguments made in defense of slavery are listed below. The biblical antislavery argument of the decade 18301840. History ch 10 proslavery and antislavery arguments. They formed a campaign called abolition which aimed to raise public awareness about the horrors of slavery and eventually to persuade the members of parliament that it. The moral arguments against slavery eventually won out. The religious defense of american slavery before 1830 larry r.
Abolition, antislavery movements, and the rise of the. Elliott, david christy, albert taylor bledsoe, thornton stringfellow, robert goodloe harper, james henry hammond, samuel adolphus cartwright, charles hodge. A case study in hermeneutics kevin giles is the rector of st matthews church, kensington, adelaide, and is wellknown for his articles on the church in the new testament in various journals. I have done a lot of research about what the bible says about slavery. People have questioned whether it was right or wrong of the south to use the bible to support their beliefs in slavery. During the 1840s, abolitionist societies used song to stir up enthusiasm at their meetings. Abolitionists used moral arguments to counteract the case made by their pro slavery counterparts. The other favorite came from the apostle pauls epistle to the ephesians, vi, 57. A discussion of these various arguments against slavery should lead students to consider how each one might have been received and how each one differed depending on its author, intended audience, and context.
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