Thorny Evolution Path of the US Society: Slavery and the Abolitionist Movement

DOI: 10.17721/2521-1706.2020.09.9

Marharyta Lymar

Ph.D. in Political Sciences, Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, Mykolaiv, Ukraine

Abstract

The article focuses on studying the evolution of the U.S. society and exploring phenomena of racism and slavery. Given the fact that the modern American society is considered as the field of numerous opportunities for every person, it is worth to track its transformation and to identify the key milestones or turning points of the U.S. history in this regard. The author identifies racism as one of the slavery’s reasons, condemning the both phenomena and exploring the ways of resisting them among Americans in the first years of the United States of America as a new independent and single state. Thus, the following tasks of the research are defined: to determine the concepts of racism and slavery; to find out the origins and background of slavery in the early period of the U.S. establishing; to explore the status of African Americans in the U.S. society as well as dual standards of equality between Americans; to track the evolution of American society’s views on slavery and discrimination; and to observe the consequences of the Abolitionist movement for the further development of the U.S. society. It is stated that the black Africans appeared in the British colonies of North America because of inevitable labor problem, faced by the first settlers, forced to seek cheap or free labor hands. Primary, the Africans were brought to America as indentured staff. In 1640–1641, in Massachusetts, some types of slavery became allowed, and the other states followed such a suit. Slaves were brought from the slave factories established along the west coast of Africa from Cape Verde to the equator. The enslaved Africans did not put up with fate and protested in various ways, supported by the sympathetic Whites (philanthropists, Quakers, pastors, statesmen). Regular uprisings, protests, and strikes, the spread of agitation literature greatly contributed to protection of slaves. Thus, the Abolitionist movement was founded. Thanks to it, the slave owners were resisted, the proper laws were adopted and slavery was eventually abolished. However, the legal abolition did not totally eradicate racism from the subconscious of Americans, which is now echoed.

Keywords: racism; slavery; Abolitionist movement; Blacks; African Americans; Quakers; United States.

Full text

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