Civil War Abolitionism Essay

Abolitionist:A Main Cause of the Civil War
In the 1800's, there were a lot of tensions between the North and the South. The main tension being about slavery. Most southerners believed that the South needed slavery to maintain the South's economy. Most Northerners believed that slavery should be abolished. Abolitionist believed the slavery was morally wrong and inhumane. Abolitionist like Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin to bring attention to the controversial topic. Abolitionist wanted to show others the injustices and horrors of slavery. The Fugitive Slave Law which required the North to bring back slaves to the masters of those who escaped.The law angered the Northerners as well as Dred Scott's case decision. John

Dred Scott's was so controversial it went up to the Supreme Court. Many abolitionist believed that Dred would win and were astonished when he did not win. Abolitionist were outraged that Chief Justice Robert Taney ruled that African Americans had no rights and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. The decision made abolitionist furious the abolitionist wanted to continue their efforts to free slaves. According to Chief Justice Roger Taney of the Supreme Court on his decision on whether to allow African Americans able to be involved in politics, "They had for more than a century before been regarded as beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, whether in social or political relations; and so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect" ( Document G ). African Americans were treated as if they were less than the white race. African Americans were people but did not have any rights and could not be associated whether in social or political decisions. African Americans were treated as property and not people abolitionist wanted to change that fact. They were upset when the Judge ruled that he was only property and could not become