The American Vision © 2008

"The Many Faces of Abolition"

Introduction
As you learned in this chapter, the Second Great Awakening inspired many Americans to embrace the spirit of social reform. Among the social evils that came under attack was the issue of slavery. Fearing the spread of slavery through the West and Southwest, white and free African American reformers worked to halt its progress. In the late 1820s, the abolition movement gained momentum as dozens of publications spread the ideas of abolitionism. Though enslaved African Americans would not achieve emancipation until the close of the Civil War, the early abolition movement captured the Nation's attention and gave a voice to enslaved African Americans. Visit this Web site to learn more about the early abolition movement and how its key players used very different strategies in their pursuit of freedom.

Destination Title: Africans in America

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Directions
Start at the Africans in America Web site.

• Click on Enter to enter the site.
• Click on Judgment Day 1831-1865.
• Click on Narrative.
• Scroll down and click on Abolitionism.
• Browse through the site, taking notes as you go. Be sure to check out all the links on this page as well.

1			Identify some of the abolitionist leaders, and briefly describe their methods and objectives.
2			Why do you think the leaders had different approaches to the slavery issue?
3			Describe pro-slavery responses to the movement.
4			Why did some Americans view abolitionists as threatening to the social order?
5			At the 1843 National Negro Convention, Henry Highland Garnet surprised the delegates with his "Call to Rebellion" speech. Read the speech by clicking on the link. Imagine that you are a reporter covering the convention for The Liberator. On a separate sheet of paper, write a newspaper article that summarizes Garnet's speech and compares his approach to the slavery issue with other abolitionist views.