The Abolition Movement - Essay Example

During the Colonial Era, the Quakers single-handedly emphasized that “slavery was contrary to Christian values (Ottawa Citizen, 2006).” Then during the 1780s, the Pennsylvania Abolition Society and the Virginia Abolition Society were established with the main purpose of slowly eradicating slavery through legislative action and setting slaves uninhibited freedom. The start of the American Abolitionist Movement happened in 1831 when William Lloyd Garrison began circulating the abolitionist newspaper Liberator, which promoted the instant abolition of slavery, and the full equal rights for all African-Americans (Ottawa Citizen, 2006).

After sometime, the American Abolitionist Movement disintegrated into different factions because the members and the leaders within the movement had different outlooks on the best way or best means on how to achieve their main goal. Garrison and his followers continued to uphold the abolition of slavery via moral persuasion emphasizing that slavery is not proper and immediate release of all slaves must be done (emancipation). Such methods gained support from the Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian anti-slavery movements; and in the legislative reforms of the government (Ottawa Citizen, 2006).

However, the other more fanatic factions of the movement perceived that violence was the only way to accomplish the instant abolition of slavery (Ottawa Citizen, 2006); but the steps taken to implement such tactics failed. It is the same for The American Colonization Society and the UNIA by Marcus Garvey, from 1820 – 1830, who simultaneously suggested that returning to Africa was a better option than emancipation because black people will have a hard time establishing their rights in the United States.

Unfortunately, the general outcomes of these particular movements were not successful since many did not survive the move back to Africa and the support eventually faded (Cole, 2009). The actions of the abolitionist paved way for the Northern States in America to support the abolition of slavery, but regrettably the Southern States refused to concede and give up the tradition of having slaves to keep their homes and till their lands. When various ways of settling the slave issue did not positively materialize, the country became divided and battle became the last resort (Cole, 2009) to resolve the problem of slavery.

The differences of the Northern and Southern States eventually led to the Civil War that ended with the defeat of the South who stubbornly resisted to let go of their slaves. Although the Civil War resulted to many casualties, the abolitionists hard work paid off since it was their efforts that gave momentum to the removal of slavery. Hence, giving African-American slaves their freedom and equal rights (Cole, 2009). References Cole, K.S. (2009 May 02). The American Abolitionist Movement. Retrieved from http://EzineArticles.

com/2297064 Ottawa Citizen. (2006 June 08). The Abolitionist Movement. Retrieved from http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/features/freedom/story.html?id=65246c6c-f0ca-4ce9-83e8-d2fe6583ed1f&k=4952