American Evolution and Civil War - Coursework Example

The abolitionist movement was a movement in the United States that believed all men are created equally. It was one of the causes of the civil war as members, both white and black piled pressure on slave owners to set them free. Frederick Douglass had while in slavery been known as Frederick Bailey. He was the most famous black man among the abolitionists. He had formed a newspaper called the North Star, which was a direction for slaves who wished to flee their masters.

White abolitionists mostly focused on ending slavery, while black abolitionists concentrated on the abolition of slavery and equal treatment of all races and justice for all. That led to split in ideologies despite the two groups having a common end-goal. Douglass had befriended a white man called Garrison who was for the violent protests against slavery while Douglass was anti-violence and he saw the constitution as a means to destroy or restrict slavery by the federal government (Douglass, 1855). They eventually fell out due to differences in ideology with Douglass telling the white man that on the fourth of July while they celebrated, he would be mourning. Fourth of July is the day that signifies the birth of America but for a slave, it is just but another day to be denied freedom.

Douglass in his speech emphasized that slavery is immoral and a sin against God and the constitution (Douglass, 1855). They also stressed that a slave is a man and not an inferior being. He is superior to the beasts of the firm and reptiles and therefore should be accorded the right to read and write. That the black man is capable of doing all the white man does including the worship of the Christian God. Slavery for all men under heaven is wrong. He argued in his speech that it is wrong to make men brutes to beat them with sticks and mistreat them as they wish. He explained that since slavery is inhuman, there was no way someone could argue that it is carried out in the name of God.

Douglass argued that slavery is hypocritical and an insult to man and God (Douglass, 2000). Opposed to the laws of God and man. The men involved in slave trade are not honorable and hence must be condemned. He condemned the church for taking sides with the oppressor instead of denouncing his acts. He also condemned the southerners for defending slavery because it was a profitable trade to them. The southerners were also misinformed by the church about slavery and thought it to be holy and godly. They even were reluctant to let go of slaves because they worked on their farms for no pay which was favorable for them. Slavery and all manners of oppression gave rise to revolutions, from the civil wars to the growth of abolitionist groups. Each of them played a prominent role in the freedom that one can boast to enjoy today.

Reference

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