How Did Sarah And Angelina Grimke Question The Morality Of Slavery?

Sarah and Angelina Grimke were born and raised on a plantation in Charleston, South Carolina. Though 13 years apart in age, the two shared similar ideologies and were practically inseparable. At an early age Sarah, and later Angelina, came to question the morality of slavery. Sarah wrote that, “Slavery was a millstone about my neck, and marred my comfort from the time I can remember myself." It wasn’t until their father fell sick and Sarah traveled to Philadelphia to help him receive medical care that she ever felt that she could do anything about the social inequalities that plagued society.

In Philadelphia, Sarah encountered the Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends, who helped care for her dying father. The Quakers’ strong views

She attempts to appeal to their family and Christian values and uses logic to argue against slavery. She begs the question, “Why, if as has often been said, slaves are happier than their masters, free from the cares and perplexities of providing for themselves and their families…why not place your children in the way of being supported without your having the trouble to provide for them, or they for themselves?” Essentially, if slavery isn’t all that bad, then why aren’t women willing to sell their own children into slavery? She also uses the commandment “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” to appeal to their Christian sensibilities – if these women are so unwilling to enter slavery themselves and allow their children to become slaves, then isn’t it altogether unchristian to force others into slavery? Once again, Angelina’s ideas caused great controversy – this pamphlet was burned in her hometown and she was banned from returning there, the Quaker community shunned her, and northerners were once again opposed to a woman speaking out on this controversial

Where, in all the sacred Scriptures, is this taught? Alas, she has too well learned the lesson which MAN has labored to teach her. She has surrendered her dearest RIGHTS, and been satisfied with the privileges which man has assumed to grant