THE QUAKERS, MORAVIANS AND MENNONITES CONDEMNED SLAVERY. THE QUAKERS WERE ESPECIALLY STRONG IN NEW JERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA.

IN 1754 THE NEW JERSEY QUAKER JOHN WOOLMAN PUBLISHED TWO ANTI-SLAVERY PAMPHLETS. WOOLMAN SAID THAT "WHITE CHILDREN BORN TO PARENTS OF THE MEANEST SORT WERE NEVER CONSIDERED CANDIDATES FOR A LIFETIME OF SLAVERY." BUT BLACK CHILDREN WERE. THIS WAS BECAUSE BLACKS WERE CONSIDERED INFERIOR BY VIRTUE OF THEIR COLOR AND RACE, NOT JUST SLAVERY.

ANTHONY BENEZET (A HUGUENOT) ALSO PUBLISHED AN ANTI-SLAVERY TRACT IN THE 1750S. IN 1759 BENEZET ESTABLISHED A SCHOOL TO EDUCATE FREE BLACKS IN PHILA. HE WAS A CHAMPION OF ANTI-SLAVERY UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1784. IN 1777 NJ OPENED SCHOOLS FOR BLACKS IN TRENTON AND BURLINGTON.

IN 1758 THE PHILA QUAKERS FORBADE THEIR MEMBERS TO BUY OR SELL SLAVES, AND QUAKERS WHO CONTINUED TO BUY OR SELL SLAVES WERE EXPELLED. THE LONDON QUAKERS FOLLOWED IN 1761; THE MARYLAND QUAKERS IN 1768; NEW ENGLAND IN 1770; NEW YORK QUAKERS IN 1774. THE QUAKERS FORBADE THE OWNING OF SLAVES ABOUT 1775 IN NEW ENGLAND AND THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC COLONIES. IN 1788 THE MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA QUAKERS ABOLISHED SLAVERY. THE QUAKERS FELT THAT THEY COULD NOT CONTROL WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ID. BUT THEY COULD DISASSOCIATE THEMSELVES FROM EVIL, AND PUT THE HOUSE OF THEIR OWN DENOMINATION IN ORDER.

IN 1776 JEFFERSON PENNED THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF THE DECLARATION, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL. BUT JEFFERSON, WASHINGTON AND NUMEROUS OF THE FOUNDERS WERE SLAVEHOLDERS. AND THEY FAVORED DEPORTATION OF THE BLACK PEOPLE OUT OF THE COUNTRY TO CREATE A PURE WHITE COUNTRY. THE PROBLEM WAS, HOWEVER, THAT EVEN AS SOME WHITES DESIRED A PURE WHITE COUNTRY, THEY ALSO DESPERATELY NEEDED BLACK SLAVE LABOR. THIS WAS THE CONTRADICTION ON WHICH AMERICA WAS FOUNDED: A WHITE COUNTRY THAT COULD NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT BLACK LABOR. AND A FREE COUNTRY FOR WHITES THAT RESTED ON TOP OF SLAVERY FOR BLACKS.

CONTRIBUTION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR OF 1776-1783 5,000 AFRICAN AMERICANS SERVED IN THE WAR. PETER SALEM WAS A BLACK SLAVE WHO WAS SET FREE TO SERVE IN THE WAR. HE FOUGHT AT LEXINGTON AND CONCORD AND BUNKER HILL, AND WAS WITH WASHINGTON AT VALLEY FORGE. A STATUE OF PETER SALEM WAS BUILT AT FRAMINGHAM, MASS.

RHODE ISLAND GAVE MONEY TO SLAVEOWNERS AS COMPENSATION FOR SLAVES WHO SERVED IN THE WAR. NEW HAMPSHIRE, CONN AND VIRGINIA PROMISED FREEDOM TO SLAVES WHO ENLISTED, AND GAVE COMPENSATION TO THE OWNER. IN VA, AFTER THE WAR, 10,000 SLAVES WERE FREED (WITH COMPENSATION FROM STATE TREASURY TO OWNER).

ANOTHER BLACK PATRIOT WAS THE FREE BLACK MAN OLIVER CROMWELL* (1753-1853). HE WAS FREE, FROM NEW JERSEY. HE SERVED IN THE BATTLES OF TRENTON AND PRINCETON AND MONMOUTH, AND WAS WITH WASHINGTON WHEN HE CROSSED THE DELAWARE IN 1776, AND AT THE BATTLE OF YORKTOWN. HE RECEIVED THE BADGE OF MERIT IN 1783.

BLACK AMERICANS HAVE FOUGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY IN EVERY WAR FROM DAY ONE, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS NOT BEEN APPRECIATED. THEIR COLLECTIVE REWARD FOR THE PATRIOTISM OF BLACK AMERICANS HAS BEEN 200 YEARS OF SLAVERY, SEGREGATION AND DISCRIMINATION. BLACK AMERICANS HAVE BEEN MORE LOYAL TO THEIR COUNTRY THAN THEIR COUNTRY HAS BEEN TO THEM.

ANOTHER PERSONALITY OF THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD WAS PHILIS  WHEATLEY (1753-1784). SHE WAS BORN IN AFRICA, AND KIDNAPPED INTO SLAVERY AT AGE 8 (1761). SHE WAS BOUGHT BY JOHN WHEATLEY, OF BOSTON, A MERCHANT AND TAILOR. JOHN AND HIS WIFE SUSANNAH TREATED PHILIS WELL, AND TAUGHT HER TO READ AND WRITE. SHE BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE POET.

ANOTHER FIGURE OF THAT TIME PERIOD WAS JEAN BAPTISTE DU SABLE (1745-1818). HIS MOTHER WAS A BLACK SLAVE IN HAITI. HIS FATHER WAS A WHITE FRENCH PLANTATION OWNER. THE FATHER SET HIS SON FREE, SENT HIM TO SCHOOL IN FRANCE. THE FATHER TOOK HIS SON AS A PARTNER IN HIS FUR TRADING BUSINESS IN NEW ORLEANS IN 1765. DU SABLE BUILT A FUR TRADING POST AT WHAT IS NOW CHICAGO IN 1772, AND IS THE "FOUNDER" OF CHICAGO.

WILLIAM FREEHLING

WILLIAM FREEHLING ARGUES THAT THE CONSTITUTION OF 1787 WAS AN UNSTABLE COMPROMISE BETWEEN THOSE WHITES (LIBERALS) WHO WANTED TO ABOLISH SLAVERY NATIONWIDE AND DEPORT BLACKS TO CREATE A PURE WHITE COUNTRY, AND THOSE WHITES (CONSERVATIVES) WHO WANTED TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO. THE STATUS QUO WAS TO ALLOW EACH STATE TO DECIDE FOR ITSELF WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE BLACK SLAVERY. THE SOUTHERN STATES WANTED TO KEEP SLAVERY FOREVER.

THE FOUNDING FATHERS TRIED TO PAPER OVER THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE EMANICIPATIONISTS (WITH COLONIZATION) AND THE PRO-SLAVERY FACTION. THE FOUNDING FATHERS COMPROMISED. THE CONSTITUTION BOTH PROTECTED SLAVERY AND TOOK STEPS TO LIMIT IT. BY 1861, THE COMPROMISE WOULD BECOME UNRAVELED, LEADING TO THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES.

AN INCOMPLETE REVOLUTION

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WAS A BLOCKED OR INCOMPLETE REVOLUTION, BECAUSE THE LIBERALS FAILED TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF EMANCIPATION.

THE JEFFERSONIAN LEGACY

BUT THE REVOLUTION GAVE AMERICA THE "JEFFERSONIAN LEGACY." THIS WAS THE BELIEF THAT SLAVERY WAS WRONG, AND EVIL, AND CONTRARY TO THE PRINCIPLE OF HUMAN LIBERTY. THE JEFFERSONIAN LEGACY WAS THE GOAL, INTENTION AND COMMITMENT OF LIBERALS TO EVENTUALLY ABOLISH SLAVERY, WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES PERMITTED.

THE LIBERALS OF 1787 DEFERRED THE ISSUE. THEY DELAYED. THEY WAITED FOR A BETTER OPPORTUNITY. THEY BOUGHT TIME. THEY TRIED TO CONTAIN SLAVERY. THEY WANTED ABOLITION TO BE CONVENIENT. IT CAME ABOUT AFTER THE LOSS OF 600,000 LIVES IN THE CIVIL WAR.

IN 1790 (FIRST CENSUS) THERE WERE 757,000 AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE US. THIS CONSISTED OF 697,000 SLAVES AND 59,000 FREE BLACKS.

CREATING THE UNION TOOK PRECEDENCE

FREEHLING ARGUES THAT FOR THE FOUNDING FATHERS, CREATING THE UNION (A NATIONAL, CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT) TOOK PRECEDENCE OVER THE LIBERAL GOAL OF ABOLISHING SLAVERY. IN ORDER TO GET ALL 13 STATES INTO THE POLITICAL UNION, IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE COMPROMISES. THOMAS FEW AND ABRAHAM BALDWIN OF GEORGIA, AND CHARLES PINCKNEY AND JOHN RUTLEDGE OF SOUTH CAROLINA THREATENED NOT TO RATIFY THE CONSTITUTION OR AGREE TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES UNLESS SLAVERY WAS PROTECTED. GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA AGREED TO ENTER THE UNION ONLY UPON THE CONDITION THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD PROTECT SLAVERY.

CONDITIONAL UNIONISM

IN 1787, IF THE CHOICE WAS BETWEEN SLAVERY AND UNION, SC AND GA PREFERRED SLAVERY AND WOULD RATHER NOT BE PART OF THE US IF THAT MEANT GIVING UP SLAVERY. FREEHLING ARGUES, THEREFORE, THAT THE ATTITUDE OF THE SOUTHERN STATES WAS "CONDITIONAL UNIONISM."

THE APPEASE GA AND SC, THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION MADE SEVERAL COMPROMISES.

THE FOUNDING FATHERS DID THREE THINGS TO PROTECT SLAVERY.

ARTICLE ONE, SECTION 2, CLAUSE 3. THE THREE-FIFTHS CLAUSE

FOR PURPOSES OF COUNTING THE REPRESENTATION OF EACH STATE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SLAVES SHALL COUNT AS 3/5THS OF A FREE PERSON. FREE BLACKS COUNT AS A FULL PERSON.

NORTHERNERS POINTED OUT THAT SLAVES COULD NOT VOTE. BUT SOUTHERNERS WANTED TO COUNT THEM AS PART O THE STATE POPULATION, BECAUSE THE MORE POPULATION A STATE HAS THE MORE SEATS AND VOTES IT GETS IN CONGRESS. THE NORTH DID NOT WANT SLAVES TO COUNT AT ALL (0). THE SOUTH WANTED THEM TO COUNT AS A FULL PERSON (1). THE COMPROMISE WAS 3/5THS (MORE THAN HALF).

ARTICLE ONE, SECTION NINE: CLOSING OF EXTERNAL SLAVE TRADE

AFTER 1808, CONGRESS SHALL HAVE THE POWER TO CLOSE THE EXTERNAL SLAVE TRADE. LIBERALS WANTED TO CLOSE IT RIGHT AWAY. CONSERVATIVES WANTED TO KEEP IT OPEN INDEFINITELY. THE COMPROMISE WAS TO ALLOW TH SOUTH A 20 YEAR GRACE PERIOD (1787-1807), AND AFTER THAT CONGRESS WOULD HAVE THE POWER TO CLOSE IT. SC WAS IMPORTING 10,000 SLAVES A YEAR, AT THAT RATE, THE US COULD EASILY HAVE IMPORTED AN ADDITIONAL 500,000 SLAVES FROM 1808-1860. HOWEVER, BRITAIN BEGAN ATTACKING THE SLAVE TRADE IN 1807, AND INTERCEPTED SLAVE SHIPS AND FREED THE SLAVES. IF THE US HAD PERSISTED IN THE EXTERNAL SLAVE TRADE AFTER 1808, IT WOULD HAVE BECOME ENTANGLED IN WAR WITH BRITAIN (AS IT DID IN 1812 IN ANY CASE).

ARTICLE FOUR, SECTION TWO: FUGITIVE SLAVE CLAUSE

FEDERAL LAW TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER STATE LAW. RUNAWAY SLAVES WHO ESCAPE TO STATES THAT HAVE ABOLISHED SLAVERY CANNOT BE SET FREE BY THE LAWS OF THE FREE STATE. THE RUNAWAY IS A FUGITIVE, UNDER FEDERAL LAW, AND IF CAUGHT HE OR SHE MUST BE RETURNED TO THE STATE FROM WHICH HE ESCAPED. THIS CLAUSE USES FEDERAL POWER TO LIMIT THE POWER OF FREE STATES TO ACT ON BEHALF OF RUNAWAYS.

"NO PERSON HELD TO SERVICE OR LABOR IN ONE STATE, UNDER THE LAWS THEREOF, ESCAPING INTO ANOTHER, SHALL, IN CONSEQUENCE OF ANY LOW OR REGULATION THEREIN, BE DISCHARGED FROM SUCH SERVICE OR LABOR, BUT SHALL BE DELIVERED UP ON THE CLAIM OF THE PARTY TO WHOM SUCH SERVICE OR LABOR MAY BE DUE).

THE FOUNDING FATHERS ALSO DID AT LEAST THREE THINGS TO CONTAIN SLAVERY.

THE NORTHERN STATES, UNDER STATE LAW, ONE BY ONE, BEGAN TO GRADUALLY ABOLISH SLAVERY. (TO BE DISCUSSED IN MORE DETAIL BELOW)

IN 1807 PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON ASKED CONGRESS TO USE ITS POWER OVER THE EXTERNAL SLAVE TRADE TO DECLARE AN END TO THE EXTERNAL SLAVE TRADE ON JAN. 1, 1808. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN JEFFERSON’S GREATEST TANGIBLE CONTRIBUTION ON BEHALF OF BLACK PEOPLE (APART FROM THE SYMBOLISM OF THE DECLARATION). CONGRESS DID SO. NO NEW SLAVES LEGALLY COULD BE BROUGHT INTO THE COUNTRY. THIS CURTAILED THE SUPPLY OF SLAVES, AND BOOSTED THE PRICE. SLAVES BECAME MORE EXPENSIVE, EVER MORE VALUABLE.

IN 1787 CONGRESS PASSED THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE. IT FORBADE SLAVERY IN THE TERRITORIES AND STATES NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER. IN TIME, THIS AREA BECAME THE STATES OF OHIO, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN. AT THAT TIME, THE US REACHED TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI WEST WAS CONTROLLED BY SPAIN (AND LATER, FRANCE). THE EFFECT OF THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE WAS TO CONTAIN SLAVERY IN THE SOUTH, AND KEEP IT OUT OF THE MIDWEST.

THE FOUNDERS DID NOT HAVE THE POWER IN 1787 TO FORCE THE WHITE SOUTH TO GIVE UP ITS SLAVES, BUT THEY HAD THE POWER TO DRIVE SLAVERY OUT OF THE NORTH AND TO KEEP IT OUT OF THE MIDWEST.

BUT THE FAILURE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF SLAVERY KEPT COMING BACK TO HAUNT THE NATION UNTIL THE UNION DISSOLVED IN BLOODSHED AND CIVIL WAR IN 1861.

GRADUAL EMANCIPATION IN NORTH.

IN 1777 VERMONT ADOPTED A NEW STATE CONSTITUTION. IT SAID THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL. THEREFORE IT ABOLISHED SLAVERY OUTRIGHT.

IN 1780 PA ADOPTED A LAW FOR GRADUAL EMANCIPATION, TO BE IMPLEMENTED OVER 28 YEARS (TO 1808). ALL CHILDREN BORN TO SLAVE PARENTS, FROM THIS DATE FORWARD, WOULD BE FREE. BUT THEY WOULD SERVE AS INDENTURED SERVANTS TO THEIR MOTHER’S MASTER TO AGE 28 (1808). IN 1808 ANYONE WHO WAS STILL A SLAVE WOULD BE SET FREE.

IN 1783 THE MASS. COURTS RULED THAT SLAVERY WAS A VIOLATION OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION. ALL SLAVES EMANCIPATED (ABOUT 4,000). NEW HAMPSHIRE UNDERTOOK GRADUAL EMANCIPATION IN 1783. (157 PER CENSUS OF 1790).

IN 1784 RHODE ISLAND AND CONNECTICUT ADOPTED GRADUAL EMANCIPATION.

IN JULY 1799 NEW YORK STATE ADOPTED A LAW FOR GRADUAL EMANCIPATION, TO BE PHASED IN OVER 25 YEARS FOR FEMALES AND 28 YEARS FOR MALES. BY JULY 4, 1827 ALL SLAVES IN NY STATE (21,000) WERE EMANCIPATED.

IN 1804 THERE WERE ABOUT 12,000 SLAVES IN NEW JERSEY. IT ADOPTED A LAW FOR GRADUAL EMANCIPATION. CHILDREN BORN TO SLAVE MOTHERS FROM THIS POINT FORWARD WOULD BE SET FREE AT AGE 28 (1832). HOWEVER THE SLAVES BORN PRIOR TO 1804 WOULD REMAIN SLAVES UNTIL THEY DIED, UNLESS THE MASTER CHOSE TO SET THEM FREE. IT WAS LEFT TO INDIVIDUALS. IN 1860, THERE WERE STILL 18 ELDERLY SLAVES IN NJ.

DELAWARE REMAINED A SLAVE STATE UNTIL 1865, AS DID MARYLAND.