Civil War Times

As the nation developed, slavery remained important to the economy, particularly in the South. Abolitionism—that is, opposition to slavery and activism to end it—evolved in two directions. One branch argued against slavery on moral grounds because of its inhumane treatment. Many of these activists became known as radical abolitionists because they both categorically opposed slavery and, in some cases, supported civil rights for freed enslaved people. The antislavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1853, supported the radical abolitionists’ views.

The other branch of antislavery sentiment was more pragmatic. Its adherents believed that to protect slavery, the South was seeking more power in Congress by trying to expand slavery into new states. Many white Americans weren’t concerned about the rights or lives of enslaved people, but they felt that slavery was unfair competition economically. These feelings were widespread in the new states of the West.

Abolitionism also provided a point of entry for reformers seeking to expand rights for women. A few male abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison encouraged women to participate in the antislavery movement. At a time when women’s husbands or fathers controlled their financial and work lives, women reformers began writing in the 1830s and 1840s, first about the evils of slavery and then about the need for women to take control of their own lives. This culminated in a series of small legal victories protecting women’s property when they married.

KEEP IN MIND . . .
The resentment of slavery and what was called the “Slave Power” was an important factor in the lead-up to the Civil War. As Southerners strengthened their congressional advantages, some Westerners saw this as a conspiracy to seize power in the United States.

The Seneca Falls Convention, held in 1848, was the first women’s rights convention. Organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton with a group of Quaker women, it gave Stanton an opportunity to write the Declaration of Sentiments that, among other things, took the radical step of suggesting that women should be allowed to vote.

Example

Abolition is opposition to __________________.

The correct answer is A. Abolition is support for freeing enslaved people.