Abolitionist Movement - Essay Example

Christian advocates, economic changes and intellectual growth gave rise to abolitionist campaigns within Europe and America (“A Brief History of the American…”). Spain began the first European law that abolished slavery after Dominican religious leader Baryolome de las witnessed the mistreatment of natives, but the laws became weak in 1545. In 17th century Quakers and the enthusiastic religious members began crusades citing that slavery goes against Christian requirements. The England Sommersett’s court case that occurred in 1772 influenced most decisions that led to elimination of slavery.

It is clear that France did away with slavery in 1789 however; through the leadership of Napoleon he introduced it later in most colonies. Additionally, Britain banned the sourcing and importation of African slaves in all its colonies around 1807. The British Empire on its part eliminated all forms of slavery in 1883, after the approval of the Slavery Abolition Act while France followed 15 years later (Ferrell 7). The initial calls to end slavery (colonial-era) in America appeared in 1688 by Quakers of German and Dutch heritage from Germantown, Pennsylvania who wrote letters to other Quaker church groups condemning the practice.

The Society of Friends was a major contributor to this movement but they did not make much impact on slavery centers. However, their influence was felt in 1787 when the federal government eliminated slavery in the Northwest region and trans-Atlantic slave trade was forbidden in 1808 (“A Brief History of the American…”). It is evident, that the most influential part of the Abolitionist movement started in 1830s through religious resurgence of the commonly known Second Great Awakening. The religious leaders at this time viewed slavery as a sin and requested people to renounce it to receive repentance.

In 1833, the American Anti-Slavery Society recruited many members while they preached that slavery was morally wrong and advocated for