How Did The Louisiana Purchase Influence The Abolition Of Slavery

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The forces in favor of continued enslavement were dominant in the early American republic as a result of cotton production which actually encouraged domestic slave trade, The Louisiana Purchase which contributed to the westward expansion of slavery, and conservatism and racism which increased proslavery sentiments in the North and South. African Americans achieved emancipation in the North through economic change, religious influence and the influence of the Enlightenment’s natural rights doctrines. While the factors previously mentioned were a major influence in the slave owners granting emancipation, they also encouraged African Americans to take matters into their own hands and pursue freedom through litigation, petition against local and state legislature for equal rights, purchase freedom for themselves and their families, and escape their owners. …show more content…

Notably, theses clauses eventually gave way to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1973 which gave slave owners extended powers across state borders as well as allowed them to falsely claim ownership over free African Americans in the North. On the other hand, the U.S. Constitution as it was drafted in 1787 was not entirely a proslavery document since its creators were both southern slave holders and opponents of slavery, therefore the Constitution tried to apply laws that appealed to both parties. Additionally, the U.S. Constitution as it was drafted in 1787 served as an antislavery document in the sense that it banned slavery in Northwest

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