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His Promised Land

Before the 1830s, several Americans wished to end the bondage era of slavery in

America. These Americans suggested that the slaves should be freed and deported to Africa,

their country of origin. These ideologies led to the American Colonization Society, which led to

the gradual abolition of slavery in America and the settlement of black Americans in Africa. In

Africa, the movement established Liberia on the coast of West Africa. The freed Africans were

to be deported back to their countries of origin which the Americans would later declare their

colonial territories. Most observers, such as Harriet Martineau, thought of the idea of

colonialization as impractical.

Nonetheless, during the Jacksonian era, various prominent political leaders, such as John

Marshal, upheld colonization (Guelzo, np). Most northern people supported the idea as they

believed it to be the only way to eliminate slavery. Meanwhile, in the South, those people in

favor of colonization kept persuading the free African- Americans to leave the U.S.

By the years before the civil war broke out, black Americans had moved to Liberia with

the help of colonization. Most of these blacks were slaves liberated by their masters on the

condition that they leave. Meanwhile, some of the slaves went willingly to preach Christianity

gospel in Africa and relish the privileges they missed in the United States. Most people thought
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that racism and slavery were intensely rooted in American society. It would be impossible for

blacks to get fairness if freed and allowed to remain in America.

Militant Abolitionism

The rise of abolitionists in the 1830s differed from those that preceded it because it had a

religious conviction behind its beliefs. The movements believed that slavery was a sin according

to religious beliefs, and it also opposed the values written in the announcement of freedom from

the secular view. The new cohort of abolitionists banned the former form of gradual freedom and

instead demanded immediate abolition. Unlike those before, the 1830 abolitionists directed

complex language in contradiction of slavery and the slave masters. They upheld that blacks

should be incorporated into American society as equal citizens once they were freed. Although

the white abolitionist still had traces of the deeply rooted racism from American culture, they

still advocated for the comparable public, economic, and radical rights for people of all races in

America.

David Walker

The mark of the new abolition era began with David Walker, a free slave, in 1829 with "An

Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World." David was a free black born in North Carolina and

operating a used wear store in Boston (Walker, np). The "appeal" served as a call to all black

Americans to mobilize for abolition. It also warmed the whites of the danger the nation faced if

they failed to amend their sinful ways, in this case referring to slavery and the slave trade.

Walker went a step ahead from invoking the bible teaching and the statement of independence to

calling on the blacks to take egotism in their attainments of ancient African civilization and

urged them to claim their rights as American citizens. "Tell us no more about colonization, for
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America is as much our country as it is yours," Walker wrote, addressing the white readers

(Foner, Give me Liberty 436). Further, Walker warned America of the vengeance God would

inflict upon the United States due to their violation of the principles of justice. He went ahead to

heap numerous scorns on all ministers who fortified bondage for the breach of the excellent rule

given by Jesus Christ in the bible, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye

even so unto them."

Overtime time, Walker's ideologies got him in deep trouble, and some of the southern

states put a price on his head before he died mysteriously in 1830. However, with Walker's death

came William Lloyd Garrison, who published "The Liberator" journal in 1831, bringing a new

permanent voice to the new breed of abolitionism. Garrison's call for the instant elimination of

slavery inspired many antislavery movements. His other publishing urged that the blacks had a

right to be documented as part of American society and not be treated as aliens by shipping them

overseas.

Spread of Abolitionist Message

The abolitionist message spread like wildfire through America and expanded throughout

to the north. Antislavery leaders utilized rapidly developing print technology and the growth of

learning to spread their message. Millions of leaflets, newspapers, and novels were printed and

distributed through the steam printing press. "Between the formation of the American Anti-

Slavery Society in 1833 and the end of the decade, some 100,00 northerners had joined local

groups devoted to abolition." (Foner, Give me Liberty 437). Abolitionism grew steadily in the

era of Garrison and eventually gave rise to the current ways of raising resources, such as aid

fairs. The women would sell clothing and needlework made by their local sewing groups and
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other indulgence silks and jewelry. Also, abolitionism led to the establishment of the Christmas

shopping season, where people exchange gifts bought at profitable venues.

Abolitionists crusade reinforced the idea of freedom into the minds of the black

Americans and challenged their shared understanding of what was meant by freedom. It also

popularized the idea that individual freedom is not derived from possessing stuff such as land but

the right of oneself and the aptitude to relish the fruits of your labor (Foner, Give me Liberty

439). Further, it undermined paying wages to slave workers and argued that all working

individuals embodied freedom. Thus, the free laborer could willingly change a job, accrue

possessions, and enjoy constant family life.

Resistance

Eventually, the slaves found a voice, and resistance began in different regions and took

various forms, such as individual defiance to occasional uprisings. The slaves expressed daily

opposition through hostility to their slavers by doing shoddy work, breaking tools, and abusing

animals. The slaves did anything they could to disrupt the daily routines in the plantations,

industries, or any other places they worked (Lincoln, np). Some pretended to be ill to avoid the

day's work while others stole food, with others going to extreme extents of poisoning and

assaulting the whites. In the end, some slaves opted to run away, an act that threatened the

stability of the slave system. Thousands of slaves got their liberty by running away.

The Underground Railroad

One of the most popular runaway routes was the railway route, popularly known as the

underground railroad. It consisted of a wobbly organization of some concerned abolitionists who

concealed escapees in their households and helped them escape to the next railway station. One
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of the most renowned free slaves in the 1827-1900 era was John P. Parker. He was a committed

young slave forced into slavery at eight by his family in Virginia. Parker was made for walking

to Alabama, and on reaching Mobile, he was sold to a doctor. The doctor's son illegally taught

Parker how to read and lived in the doctor's house for several years before running away to New

Orleans. On several occasions, Parker evaded capture, but eventually, he was corned by his

former master and returned to Mobile. While in Mobile, Parker persuaded one of his master's

clients, a widow, to buy him for $1800. After his purchase, Parker earned his freedom after

working at a foundry for two and half years and paying off the widow (Parker, Hid Promised

Land 5). After moving out, he joined the underground railroad abolitionist group and helped

other fugitives escape. The underground railroad helped over 300,000 slaves to escape slavery

and find their freedom elsewhere in the U.S. The situation of criminals became a significant

threat in diplomatic relations following the administration's demands. The efforts to recapture the

fugitives who had entered the northern soils indicated the outstretch of slavery into free states

and acts that forced most non-abolitionist northerners to question the relationship between

individual conscience and obedience law.

1831 marked the spiraling point of the ancient South because congress debated a package

to abolish captivity throughout the British kingdom in that year (Chandler, np. This act

underscored the South's rising separation in the western biosphere. Also, Turner's revolt after

Garrison's "The Liberator" indicated the presence of enemies of oppression both within and

outside the South.

Conclusion

Slavery is one of the most popular forms of human rights violations in history. Black

communities were ruthlessly captured from their homes and transported to foreign countries to
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be sold as other people's property. Slave masters had total ownership of the slaves they acquired,

and this meant that they expected pure royalty and submission to their slaves. The slaves, or

Negro as they were often referred to, had no rights since they were personal property. However,

over time they grew tired and restless of the oppression, and few stubborn people like Parker

worked their way to freedom. Such individuals became the pioneers of abolition by voicing the

slave's demands and helping slaves escape. The continued growth in resistance and hostility from

the slaves eventually led to revolution and freedom after abolishing slavery and slave trade

systems. This account of abolition is not just a writing but a historical print detailing the

courageous fight for equal rights in a world of oppression.

Works Cited

Chandler, E. M. (1845). Essays, Philanthropic & Moral: Principally Relating to the Abolition of

Slavery in America. TE Chapman.

Foner, Eric. "Give Me Liberty: An American History Brief." (2017).

Guelzo, Allen C. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation: The end of slavery in America. Simon

and Schuster, 2005.

Lincoln, A. (1857). Speech on the Dred Scott decision. Springfield, Illinois, June 26, 1857.

Parker, John P. His promised land: the autobiography of John P. Parker, former slave, and

conductor on the underground railroad. WW Norton & Company, 1996.

Walker, David, and Henry Garnet Garnet. Walker's Appeal in Four Articles: An Add. Cosimo,

Inc., 2005.