Slavery in America: Part 6

Beginning in 1750, (after a number of Slave uprisings) there was a move for the abolition of slavery.

There were those who felt it was immoral, but also those who dealt with economics. White northern workers, immigrants
or the children of immigrants who had come for a better life found work hard to find and very low paid.

It was far cheaper to rent slaves to do a day’s work; i.e.unload a ship, build a wall, etc. then to hire a free man.

All the Northern states passed emancipation acts between 1780 and 1804, although, there were permanent apprentices
in New Jersey as late as 1860.

The Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 declared all men ‘born free and equal”.  The slave, Quock Walker, sued for his freedom and won, thus abolishing slavery in Massachusetts.

The large well-funded American Colonization Society had an active program of shipping ex-slaves and free blacks who volunteered back to Africa to the American colony of Liberia.

Beginning in 1821 Black Americans traveled to Liberia. Over the next 20 years the colony continued to grow and establish economic stability.  In 1847 Liberia declared itself an independent state.

The interesting fact about the ACS was that it was supported by both white abolitionists and Southerners concerned by a revolt of free blacks.

Northern workers supported the return to Africa of ex-slaves. Many blacks supported the organisation, seeing it as the only way out of the situation, considering the dangers of being black in America.

The number of free blacks grew after the Revolutionary War, However, only about 13,000 people were settled in Liberia during the twenty six years of this program.