The Abolitionist Movement was an organized, radical, and abrupt campaign for terminating slavery in the 19th century. Numerous individuals perceived bondage as an abomination and made it their goal to eradicate the vicious and depraved act. Numerous petitions were sent to the Congress in vain, eliciting opposition from the people of the South. This essay examines the abolitionist’s position in the obliteration of servitude, the influence of the Gag Rule, and the rise of the women’s rights movement.
Abolitionists: Responsible Reformers or Irresponsible Agitators
Many researchers and scholars have had varying opinions about the people who led the anti-slavery movement. Some theorists, including William Lloyd Garrison, claimed that the abolitionists were agitators, while others claimed they were reformers for enslavement (Griffin, 2018). The movement was essentially meant for immediate termination of slavery across all states. The abolitionists felt that enslavement was unpardonable wickedness, and their arguments and decisions were not negotiable. For this reason, they can be perceived as irresponsible agitators by freeing people abruptly without finding solutions for the Southern states whose most economic activities dependent on slave labor (Griffin, 2018). In contrast, the anti-slavery reformers, despite believing that servitude was evil, considered the abrupt termination of slavery as a punitive move. Instead, they wished for a gradual abolishment of enslavement by restricting slavery to the South and prevent further bondage in the Union.
Declaration of Independence
The views of the anti-slavery movement gave rise to the Declaration of Independence by the thirteen states of America in 1776, regarding all men as equal and having inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (American Anti-Slavery Society, 1833). The unitary decision leading to the Declaration of Independence resulted in a plea to free all slaves because all people deserved equal treatment. The staunch activists yearned for the complete abolishment of slavery, differing with some members of the Congress from the South.
Effect of the Gag Rule on the Abolitionist Movement
As the anti-slavery movement gained more support from the public domain, the abolitionists petitioned the Congress to address the pressing need to free people and heighten respect for humanity. The Southern congressmen opposed this approach since it would deprive them of slave labor. Hot debates eliciting from this topic sometimes overwhelmed the House, leaving no room for addressing other issues. In May 1836, the House of Representatives passed a regulation that prohibited any discussions on slavery issues (Griffin, 2018). The resolution was popularly known as the “Gag Rule,” and it received varying reactions from the congressmen. With time, some of them regarded it as unconstitutional since it violated the first amendment of the bill of rights that petitioned the government for grievances. Some congressmen, such as John Quincy Adams, made several attempts to present petitions on the floor but were “gagged” and inhibited from discussing the topic (Griffin, 2018). However, the Gag Rule played an insignificant role in stopping the abolitionists, challenging them to double their efforts. By 1838, they had sent over 130,000 petitions to halt slavery, which led to more support from other members of Congress and abolishment of the gag rule in 1844.
The Growth of the Women’s Rights Movement
The Women’s Rights Movement resulted from the anti-slavery efforts. Many women participated in the abolishment of slavery, raising various questions of their inclusion in leadership positions. They started feeling that both women and men were created equally and, thus, were entitled to the same rights (Na, 2016). Women quickly learned how to petition and publicly protest for social justice from the abolitionists, and in 1848, the first Women’s Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York, claiming that women were slaves too.
Conclusion
The progression of the anti-slavery movement was a phenomenal transition that taught people lessons about fighting for their rights and the need for equality. Although abolitionists championed for the termination of slavery for their favor without considering the resultant economic impacts, it helped the society to develop more powerful Constitutional Law and Bill of Rights. Overall, the anti-slavery movement taught people how to air their views and fight for their rights through unitary and logical thoughts.
References
American Anti-Slavery Society. (1833, December 4). Declaration of sentiments of the American anti-slavery society: adopted at the formation of said society in Philadelphia on the 4th day of December, 1833, ca. 1833. Rare Book Collections (RB 000). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries. Web.
Griffin, S. (2018). Anti-slavery Utopias: communitarian labor reform and the abolitionist movement. Journal of the Civil War Era, 8(2), 243-268.
Na, N. (2016). Women’s rights emerge within the anti-slavery movement, 1830-1870: A Brief History with Documents. Springer.