| One of the greatest outcomes of the Revolutionary | | | | the Liberator. His determination to abolish slavery was |
| Era was a growing movement in opposition to slavery. | | | | the basis for this theory to call for immediate freedom |
| As a result of mechanization and farming, slavery | | | | for all blacks, rather than gradual emancipation. With |
| became dominant and very important to the economy, | | | | the help of his followers, in 1832, he established the |
| particularly in the south. Many white people began to | | | | American Anti-Slavery Society. Along with Garrison, |
| question the morality of slavery, noticing the injustice in | | | | Theodore Dwight Weld wrote a famous novel |
| denying people of their liberties. Soon, antislavery | | | | condemning slavery. During 1935, he traveled around |
| societies were becoming common, and the north | | | | Ohio and western New York preaching abolitionism. |
| gradually provided for the abolition of slavery while the | | | | Even though he and his associates faced angry mobs, |
| south still considered it a "positive good". The | | | | they did convince thousands of people to become |
| antislavery movement, which eventually developed into | | | | abolitionists and form new societies. Those two people |
| the abolition movement became radicalized during the | | | | were a few of the most radical of the abolitionist |
| early 1830's. | | | | leaders. As more antislavery organizations were being |
| The beginnings of the antislavery movement were | | | | founded, many abolitionist leaders began to emerge as |
| evident right after the revolution. Every state except | | | | well. |
| for Georgia and South Carolina had outlawed the | | | | Furthermore, in New York City, the Tappan brothers, |
| slave trade. Then, in 1782 Virginia passed a law that | | | | Lewis and Arthur, were two successful merchants |
| stated that owners must free their slaves. | | | | who used their wealth to finance antislavery activities. |
| Consequently, by 1790, over ten thousand slaves had | | | | They supported a huge effort to give out antislavery |
| been set free. Ten years later, antislavery societies | | | | pamphlets and distribute them to the U.S.. |
| were forming from states ranging from Virginia to | | | | Unfortunately, since many people considered them |
| Massachusetts. Gradually, other northern states had | | | | dangerous radicals, they made relatively few converts |
| followed, providing for the abolition of slavery. | | | | in 1835. Also, it was the antislavery movement that had |
| However, after the cotton gin was introduced to the | | | | given woman an important chance to become |
| economy, instead of eliminating the need for slavery, it | | | | involved in politics and the government. Two of the |
| actually had the opposite effect--the south now | | | | very first women that were given a right to speak |
| needed slavery more than ever. In addition, before | | | | publicly about the immorality of slavery were the |
| Missouri joined the union, many northerners opposed | | | | sisters Angelina and Sarah Grimke. They argued that if |
| the idea of Missouri becoming a state because it | | | | a great moral reform of American society was to |
| would allow the expansion of slavery and also give | | | | occur, that women had to have equality in dealing with |
| them an advantage in the senate. In the Missouri | | | | the issue. Later on, more women such as Lucretia |
| Compromise of 1820, Henry Clay proposed to let | | | | Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton took a stance |
| Missouri enter the union as a slave state, and Maine as | | | | against slavery. |
| a free state. It was accepted since it preserved the | | | | These abolitionists constituted one of the most |
| balance between slave states and free states. With | | | | controversial movements in American history. From |
| the passage of the Missouri Compromise, slavery | | | | the first, their aim was to transform the conscience of |
| became a national issue. | | | | each white American, Northerner and Southerner, by |
| Soon the abolitionist movement arose, a crusade | | | | preaching against the sin of slavery. They believed that |
| based on the idea that slavery was an unjust and | | | | through such agitation it was possible to convince |
| immoral evil that needed to be eliminated as soon as | | | | slaveholders to show repentance by releasing their |
| possible. Since religion was the underlying motive for | | | | slaves. This in turn, caused numerous problems and the |
| most abolitionists, Protestant churches usually became | | | | issue would continue to divide the nation, ultimately |
| the common-ground for their activities. In 1831, William | | | | leading the U.S. into a period of bitter turmoil and |
| Lloyd Garrison started to publish a newspaper called | | | | eventually, war. |