Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

8

Civil rights

Civil war

Declaration of independence

Tubman, harriet

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The DeClaraTion of inDepenDenCe promised equality for all,

leading many americans to question the inequalities of slavery. a movement

to abolish slavery and the slave trade took root throughout the northern

states in the late 1780s. its supporters were known as abolitionists. although

there had been protests against slavery since colonial times,

mostly by religious groups, the slave population continued

to grow, and tensions between the free states of the

north and the slave states of the South escalated.

Through newspapers, speeches, and public meetings,

abolitionists spread the word about the horrors of

slavery, despite strong opposition by Southern

slaveholders and their supporters. others helped

support the Underground railroad, a network of

houses and people who illegally helped escaping

slaves reach safety in the nonslave states. Their

crusade spread to england, where abolitionists

worked to end the international slave trade.

fighTing for freeDom

Those who opposed slavery joined together to fight for

its abolition. abolitionists traveled throughout the north,

spreading their message through rallies, debates, and

speeches. one of the most powerful groups was the

american antislavery Society, founded in 1833. its

founder, William lloyd garrison, published a newspaper

called The Liberator to campaign for an end to slavery.

UncLe Tom’s cabin

no other abolitionist writing had the political impact of

Uncle Tom’s cabin, a novel by harriet Beecher Stowe.

after a trip to a Kentucky plantation, a horrified Stowe

decided to write about the evils of slavery. her novel was

simple and melodramatic, but its vivid descriptions of

suffering and cruelty turned many people against slavery.

Sales were astonishing—300,000 copies were sold within

a year. in the South, Stowe was brutally criticized, but her

book proved an effective attack on slavery.

john BroWn

Some abolitionists felt slavery could only be

ended by force. in october 1859, abolitionist

john Brown and a small band of followers

mounted an unsuccessful raid on a government

weapons store at harpers ferry, Virginia. The

local militia killed most of his men, and Brown

was captured, tried for treason, and hanged.

Women join The fighT

among several important female

campaigners, Sojourner Truth

(above) played an active role in

the abolitionist movement. Born

into slavery in 1797, she was freed

in 1827. She traveled the nation

with her moving message about

the rights of slaves and women.

freDeriCK DoUglaSS

Born a slave in maryland, frederick

Douglass escaped to new York when

he was 21 years old. he became one

of the greatest antislavery speakers of

his time, highlighting the terrible

treatment of slaves. his newspaper,

north star, advocated equality not

only for slaves but also for women.

ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT

An abolitionist rally

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