Go There To Know There

thefederalistpapers.org According to our text, the early twentieth century saw a momentary enthusiasm for remembering Douglass as one of the most memorable and formidable anti-slavery speakers, lecturers, and intellects. However, it was not until the 1960s, in which the nation saw a cry for Black Studies programs in colleges and universities, that the life and work of Frederick Douglass was reconsidered. In a rare instance, the African American publication, Ebony magazine published an article on Douglass. The post-modern era of Civil Rights Activism caused black intellectuals to cast a backward glance at the endeavors of their forebears. The article began: "Born a slave, he escaped to freedom while still young and devoted a long and fruitful life to the winning of freedom for all Negroes. A fervent integrationist, he was the first of the 'freedom riders' and 'sit iners.' He felt that true freedom could not com for him until all Negroes were free and equal...

Some Background on Slavery's Abolition in the North The official ban on importing slaves into the United States came in 1808; however this edict did not control the trafficking of slaves within the U.S. borders. At the end of the eighteenth century following the Revolutionary War, many individual instances of manumission took place. Slave-holders freed slaves by dint of the growing philosophies of freedom and independence; however, others freed their bondsmen due to changing economic climates, in which many farmers moved from single-crop (tobacco) farming to variegated crops and therefore needed fewer hands to work the fields. The mass reformation movements that eventually ended slavery in the nation did not come until the Second Great Awakening, which occurred during the 1820's and 1830's. Religious groups such as the Quakers, Moravians, and Methodists argued that the holding of slaves was sinful in the eyes of God, thus turning the tide on the long-standing biblical...