EOTO: De Jure Slavery Era
On September 26th, 2022, my Talking About Freedom class had presentations. Half of the class did a mock trial (of which I was a part of), and the other half did an EOTO. This blogpost will be about the information I learned from the other group from their EOTO.
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was established around the early to mid 1800s. It was a network of routes and safehouses that assisted enslaved African Americans in escaping to the free states in the north. A key player in the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave herself who conducted multiple trips after her own to help more enslaved people escape.
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by abolitionist, Harriet Beecher Stowe. Her story was said to have "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War." The novel was written to help depict the realities of slavery in the south, as it follows a slave, Uncle Tom, and his view of other characters. Her idea was to show the impacts of slavery while still motioning towards the idea that Christian love could overcome slavery.
The Liberator
The Liberator was a weekly abolitionist newspaper that was printed and published in Boston, Massachusetts. It was created by William Lloyd Garrison who is an abolitionist himself. The idea of abolishing slavery mentioned in the paper was based more around religion than it being based around politics. It was a non-violent tactic used by Garrison to get his point across, eventually inspiring other abolitionists to take a stand.
The Nat Turner Rebellion
In August 1831, enslaved Virginians were led by fellow slave, Nat Turner, in a rebellion against their slave masters and other slave holders. By the end of the rebellion, 55-61 people (51 at least being white) were killed before the action was suppressed. And approximately 120 African Americans (both free and enslaved) were killed in the crossfire. Nat Turner went into hiding before being found and executed. Afterwards, 56 additional slaves were executed by the accusation that they were a part of the rebellion. This event led to the government creating laws that prevented black people from gaining further education and other civil liberties.
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a federal legislation that balanced free states and slave states. Its original premise was deciding whether or Missouri should be a free state or a slave state, eventually deciding on the later. As it decided that Missouri should not be free, in order to balance the country, it was decided that Maine should be a free state. This decision led to the divide between the north and south.
Amistad Mutiny
The Amistad Mutiny was a slave rebellion that took place on the slave ship "Amistad". 53 slaves, of whom were just abducted from Africa, revolted and killed the captain and cook of the ship. They left the navigator alive so he could bring them back to Africa. This plan backfired when the navigator instead led them northward. Eventually they were brought to Connecticut.
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
This act was passed on September 18th, 1850. It required that all escaped slaves, following capture, be returned to their "owner". It was written that everyone must cooperate. This contributed to the growing tensions between the North and the South due to the topic of slavery. It was one of the biggest factors that led to the Civil War.
American Anti-Slavery Society
Founded in 1833 by abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison (creator of the Liberator) and Arthur Tappan. It had 1,350 local chapters and around 250,000 members by 1838. The A.A.S.S. was also a catalyst for the start of the women's suffrage movement.
The Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act created the territories related to its namesake (Kansas and Nebraska). It encouraged the tensions around slavery, repealed the Missouri Compromise, and contributed to armed conflicts (one of those conflicts being "Bleeding Kansas"). The act was drafted by Democratic Senator, Stephen A. Douglas. The act itself caused a pro-slavery and anti-slavery argument that led to the downfall of the Whig Party.
John Brown
John Brown was an American Abolitionist and an Evangelical Christian. In his fight against slavery, he was not a pacifist, he much rather preferred action, therefore leading to violence. He was described positively as a martyr and a visionary. Negatively, he was described as a madman and a terrorist. Overall, he was known for being a radical abolitionist, performing in Bleeding Kansas and The Harpers Ferry Attack. He was eventually hung for treason against Virginia, the murder of five men, and inciting a slave insurrection.
Harpers Ferry Attack
Ran by Abolitionist John Brown (Previous Paragraph), it was an attack that lasted two days between October 16th-18th, 1859. The plan was to initiate a slave revolt in the South by taking control of the US arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The group of 22 was defeated by the US Marines. 10 were killed, 7 were tried in court, and 5 had escaped.
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