By the time the American colonists took up arms against Great Britain in
order to secure their independence, the institution of Black slavery was deeply
entrenched. But the contradiction inherent in this situation was, for many, a
source of constant embarrassment. “It always appeared a most iniquitous scheme
to me,” Abigail Adams wrote her husband in 1774, “to fight ourselves for what
we are daily robbing and plundering from those who have as good a right to
freedom as we have.”
Many Americans besides Abigail Adams were struck by the inconsistency of
their stand during the War of Independence, and they were not averse to making
moves to emancipate the slaves. Quakers and other religious groups organized
antislavery societies, while numerous individuals manumitted their slaves. In
fact, within several years of the end of the War of Independence, most of the
Eastern states had made provisions for the gradual emancipation of slaves.
No comments:
Post a Comment