How Did Frederick Douglass Contribute To The Antislavery Movement

Frederick Douglass once said, “Without a struggle, there can be no progress.” As one of the most powerful speakers of the antislavery movement, Frederick Douglass describes that we had to fight to end slavery. The Antislavery Movement was first mentioned by Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin, who deeply opposed slavery. They were in agreement with the Declaration of Independence, which stated, “that all men are created equal.” This eventually led to the reforming impulse of the 1800s that spurred a vigorous new effort to end slavery. In 1780, Pennsylvania became the first state to pass a law that, over time, eliminated slavery. By 1804, every northern state had either ended or vowed to end slavery. Congress also banned slavery in the

A preacher named Charles Finney influenced many people to condemn slavery. By the mid-1800s, an increasing number of people became abolitionists, which were reformers who wanted to abolish, or end, slavery. As stated in the textbook, “Some abolitionists went further, rejecting gradual emancipation, and called for a complete and immediate end to slavery.” One of the most powerful abolitionists was William Lloyd Garrison. He was a Quaker who opposed the use of violence to end slavery, but was more extreme because he favored full political rights for all African Americans. In 1831, Garrison created an antislavery newspaper called the Liberator. Mentioned in the text, “It became the nation’s leading antislavery publication 34 years, ending only when slavery itself ended.” Garrison also founded a new antislavery society called the New England Anti-Slavery Society, which later became the American Anti-Slavery Society. One leader of the group was Theodore Weld, who was a minister that had been a student of Charles Finney. Weld was an important member because he brought the passion of a religious revival to antislavery

They created a system known as the Underground Railroad. According to history.com, “The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad. It got its name because its activities had to be carried out in secret, using darkness or disguise, and because railway terms were used by those involved with system to describe how it worked.” Conductors led slaves from one “station” to the next. As stated by the textbook, “Stations were usually the homes of abolitionists, but might be churches or caves. Supporters helped by donating clothing, food, and money to pay for transportation, such as, trains and boats. Many people endangered their life by helping runaway slaves. Harriet Tubman guided more than 300 people to freedom via the Underground Railroad. She earned the nickname Black Moses and boasted to Frederick Douglass that in 19 trips to the South, she “never lost a single passenger.” She also had a $40,000 bounty placed on her head. Overall, about 50,000 gained their freedom using the Underground