Important Component of the Antebellum - Essay Example

This paper analyzes the difference between the black abolitionists with their white comrades and the reaction of the black activists to the events of the 1850s which intensified the conflict resulting in the civil war.

The spiritual beliefs of African Americans are an important component of the antebellum. Their religious practices were an element of culture used to measure solidarity and ideological autonomy. Brinkley depicts the fundamentals of the African faith and equates them with their struggle during the antebellum. He further argues that the freed Africans in the North became businessmen and clergymen, and they facilitated the growth of African American nationalism through the principles of the bible. Dudley and John, in their analysis, depict the sermons of William Douglas who held that America will be left by God because of enslaving Africans, just as Israel was delivered to the Romans for their persecution of Jesus Christ. J.W Loguen, an African Methodist minister held that by enslaving Africans, the American society had betrayed the divine will of God. These comments precipitated the movement and instilled a sense of divine freedom among African Americans.

The struggle against slavery and inequality took different forms and includes the building of underground railroads to aid slaves to escape from their masters. These slaves were transported to safer territories in North America and Canada. The protest culminated in the construction of schools by freed African American and their white sympathizers. The Avery institute of higher education was established to help blacks who could not be admitted to colleges because of their race. A school for children was also established in Pittsburgh. These underground movements were led by Lewis Woodson, John Vashon, and Martin Delany, and Pittsburgh was a key station in their operation. They had white sympathizers and inclusion was Dr. Charles Avery, Jane Grey, and Julius Lemoyne. The resistance took a form of disobedience to slavery laws, and an example is the fugitive slave law which required the return of slaves to their masters.

During the protest, there were numerous differences in the approaches the black abolitionist took compared with the whites. The main difference arose out of the tactical approach of their resistance. The white abolitionist approached politicians and lawmakers to advocate against slavery, while the blacks used mass protests and at times violence to resist the slavery of their African American brothers. The whites built schools such as the Avery institute while the black abolitionist used public speeches criticizing slavery, and this occurred in religious circles.

The events of the 1850s marked the debate on the legality and morality of slavery in America, with the Supreme Court ruling that the fugitive slave law was constitutional. The debate was so intense that in 1857, fighting broke out in Kansa after the anti-slavery legislators won the election, and they expelled pro-slavery legislators. African reaction during this period was through judicial means. In 1857, Dred Scott sued his owner and challenged him for his freedom because he had lived with his master in areas where slavery was illegal, and the inclusions were Illinois and Minnesota. Dred Scott lost the case and this angered anti-slavery proponents.

In conclusion, the movement was one of the main reasons that led to the American civil war. This activism by African Americans made some Southern States abolish slavery to the detriment of the Northern States which were keen to continue with the status quo. During the events of the 1850s, the North saw that they were losing the war on slavery, and in their bid to protect their acquisition, they opted to apply for secession. The South on the other hand refused and opted to engage in war with the North in a bid to protect the Union and at the end of the war; Lincoln banned slavery through various amendments to the American constitution.