How Did The American Revolution Affect The Institution Of Slavery

The American Revolution had an immense impact on the institution of slavery in the American colonies, shaping the way it was viewed, and setting in motion a series of events that would eventually lead to its abolition. On the one hand, the ideals of freedom and equality that were at the heart of the revolution challenged the legitimacy of slavery, and how someone would even go about abolishing the institution in the new Americas. Many of the Founding Fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, believed that slavery was a violation of natural rights and it needed to be abolished. The Declaration of Independence itself, which declared that "all men are created equal" and that they have "certain unalienable Rights," including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," was a direct challenge to the institution of slavery.

In the years following the Revolution, many people began to question the morality of slavery, and a growing number of activists began to call for its abolition. For example, The Enlightenment movement's shift in attitudes toward cruelty, rights, fair play, and toleration of differences. In short, how human beings should treat each other. Enslaved men and women volunteered to fight for their freedom in both American Continental and British Armies. Slaves petitioned colonial legislatures for their right to freedom. (Whose revolution would it be? 25:23) The growing view that slavery was inefficient and socially degrading to society at large. These were the beginnings of the "Free Labor" theory, which argued slavery corrupted the public work ethic and was bad for white people (Kochlan, 65-67). The Revolution also provided a framework for future struggles against oppression, inspiring abolitionists to fight for the rights of enslaved people and other marginalized