History of North America

How did abolitionist view slavery?

As a moral evil that had to be eradicated. Abolitionists believed that slavery was not just an economic institution, but a sin that violated the unalienable rights of individuals. They argued that slaveholders were denying their slaves the inherent right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, treating them as property instead of as human beings.

As a threat to the republic. Abolitionists believed that slavery was incompatible with the principles of democracy and individual freedom. They argued that the slave system created a dangerous aristocracy that was increasingly at odds with the interests of the common people, and that the presence of slavery in the United States made the country a mockery of its own stated ideals.

As an obstacle to economic progress. Abolitionists argued that slavery was an inefficient economic system that held back the South and the country as a whole. They pointed to the fact that the slave states were economically less developed than the free states, and they attributed this difference to the institution of slavery.

As a source of social conflict. Abolitionists believed that slavery was a major source of tension between the North and the South, and they feared that it would eventually lead to civil war. They argued that slavery was a dangerous relic of the past that needed to be replaced with a more just and humane system.