Many leaders supported the enlightenment ideal of individual liberty, but they were also unwilling to demand an end to slavery.
Early US leaders espoused enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality, yet many owned slaves. This contradiction reflects the complex and deeply rooted nature of slavery as an institution, which clashed with the principles they professed. The tension between enlightenment ideals and the practice of slavery shaped America's founding and subsequent struggles with issues of freedom and equality.
The Enlightenment ideals of reason, equality, and individual rights influenced the abolition movement by challenging traditional beliefs about slavery and emphasizing the inherent worth and dignity of all individuals. Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau provided intellectual foundations for the abolitionist argument that ultimately led to the global movement to end the transatlantic slave trade and slavery itself.
Abolitionists were only able to reach their goal after many violent conflicts.
The Free-Soil Party opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories. They believed that slavery undermined the economic opportunities of white workers and free laborers by creating unfair competition. Their goal was to prevent the spread of slavery and protect the rights of free individuals.
a law that prohibited the dabate and discussion of slavery in congress
The abolition of slavery in the British Empire occurred in 1833 with the Slavery Abolition Act, which granted freedom to all slaves in the empire. Compensation was provided to slave owners instead of the enslaved individuals, marking a landmark in the campaign against slavery and paving the way for global abolition efforts.
To preserve the union by appeasing both sides on the slavery issues
In 1858, it was evident that Lincoln opposed slavery. He said as much in his debates against Stephen Douglas, who was his opponent in the presidential race.
Slavery in Africa is still extant.
Slavery ruins many people's lives.
lincoln opposed slavery, but douglas thought slavery had its place