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The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a system/ network developed to help enslaved people escape to freedom. These routes and networks mostly lead southern slaves who had escaped to the northern safe states and to Canada. Some important abolitionist figures that played crucial roles in the Underground Railroad were Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Levi Coffin. -
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman was a groundbreaking and extremely influential abolitionist who played a major role in the the Underground Railroad. Tubman was born into slavery but escaped into freedom and spent the rest of her life making dangerous trips and guiding over 70 slaves to freedom from the southern states. She risked being captured and put back into slavery by going back into southern slave holding states to rescue. -
Nat Turner’s Slave rebellion
Nat Turner was an enslaved preacher who launched the Slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia. Turner and his allies killed 55 white men, women, and children within a single day. The rebels eventually had resistance and after 2 days the rebellion was stopped and over 3 dozen blacks were killed without trials. The rest of the rebels who were suspected of being involved were tried and eventually 30 slaves and 1 free black man were sentenced to death. -
American Anti- Slavery Society Formed
The American Anti-Slavery Society (otherwise known as the A.A.S.S.) was founded in 1833 in Philadelphia by William Lloyd Garrison and Theodore Dwight Weld. The goal of the A.A.S.S. Was to abolish slavery immediately in the United States. Both black and white abolitionists worked together to promote their group and raise awareness about the cruelties and injustices that are slavery. -
William Lloyd Garrison Attacked by Mob
William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent abolitionist figure and therefore had a “target” on his back for many anti-abolitionist and pro- slavery groups. On this day William was going to give an anti- slavery lecture in Boston when he was attacked by a mob. He was tied up and dragged through the streets and was threatened to be lynched because of his views. Luckily for him two men took pity on him and he ended up spending the night in jail for his own protection. -
Supreme Court rules on Amistad Captives
In 1853 there were 53 enslaved people aboard the Amistad schooner that were on their way to Puerto Principe, Cuba to work on the sugar plantations. The slaves revolted and killed some of the crew and captain and were at sea for 2 months before the U.S. seized the boat and put the slaves on trial. American Abolitionists advocated for the return of the illegally bought enslaved people to Africa. On Jan. 30th, 1840 Judge Andrew Judson ruled the Africans illegally enslaved. -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
This Act was passed on Sep. 18, 1850 by congress and was apart of the compromise of 1850. The act required that all slaves must be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. The act caused the federal government to be made responsible for finding, returning and trying all escaped slaves. -
The compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 was a group of bills that were passed and most if not all had to do with laws and regulations about slavery. Some bills included California being admitted to the Union as a free state, slave trade outlawed in Washington, D.C., and in New Mexico residents were able to decide weather they should keep slavery or not. -
Publishing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an abolitionist and anti-slavery piece of literature that was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and was published in 40 installments in the 10 months after the original publishing date. This novel displayed the injustices of slavery and broke down the stereotypes and negative views that were placed upon black people. The book was meant to bring out some morality and open the eyes of white people and it succeeded in raising awareness. -
Abraham Lincoln elected as President of U.S.
In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was voted as the President on the U.S. This was a major deal for abolitionists and was a turning point for slavery as Lincoln was morally opposed to the idea of slavery and politically opposed to any expansion of it. Lincoln was considered a republican candidate and won the electoral collage vote while only receiving 40% of the popular vote.