The abolitionist as far as I can see were all motivated by many different causes when it came to assisting runaway slaves; and in my opinion, not all of those causes were good ones. The abolitionists' overall goal did seem to be freedom for those they assisted. However, in the case of the abolitionist that worked with The Colonization Society the freedom they helped provide included a trip to Africa. The abolitionists working with The Colonization Society worked with slaves that were, for the most part, freed slaves. With the promise of a better life in Africa than the life, a free American African could expect in America, freed slaves and their families were given passage to Africa. I suppose the slave owners, and merchants who financed the trips to Africa felt it was better not to have free slaves being looked upon as a ray of hope by a slave population yearning to live free, I can only guess at their motivation. Some of the ex-slaves, however, had no problem accepting the free trip to Africa in spite of the hardship involved in learning a new land, a new language, and soon a long-distance connection with family still living in the U.S.
Other abolitionist organizations worked with freed, and runaway slaves in order to help them relocate to areas away from the places they had lived enslaved. There were two forms of abolitionist that I have labeled the violent and the non-violent kind. The violent kind, like John Brown's brand of abolition, believed that change through violence was the way to finally get rid of slavery in the U.S. A raid he staged to prove his point would result in the loss of his life along with the lives of two of his sons and several of his followers. While John Brown's raid was a failure, but the message his actions sent to the south was clear, there were whites in the north ready and willing to arm and fight with the slaves to end slavery.
The majority of abolitionists, however, chose the non-violent form of protest against slavery and participate in the Underground Railroad the clandestine system set up to assist runaway slaves on their journey to freedom. The safe-houses, wagons, and boats maintained by the farmers, shopkeepers, clergymen, and citizens who worked for the abolition of slavery risked life, limb, property, and freedom since at the times helping a runaway slave was against the law. If caught helping a runaway slave, in some cases the abolitionist was just as likely to suffer the same fate as the slave they were trying to protect. That is why I believe the Juneteenth Day Celebration is a reason for the black and white abolitionist to party. Beyond all the famous abolitionists that are mentioned in history books like Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, William Stills, and Susan B. Anthony, there are countless other names of abolitionists that were there manning the invisible tracks of the Underground Railroad until slavery in the U.S. was gone.
Many abolitionists refused to acknowledge their participation in abolition because of the illegality of it I guess. Others, like William Stills, held on to the notes he made chronicling his involvement with the Underground Railroad; in the hope that his written accounts might someday be responsible for reuniting slave families. Those notes have been turned into a book bearing his name, William Still. After slavery many abolitionists turned their energy toward other social injustices and took on other social issues of the day, it would take some time but because of the abolitionist movement women would eventually gain the right to vote a right the American men of African descent had been given with the passage of the 15th Amendment, again, thanks in part to the abolitionist.
Other abolitionist organizations worked with freed, and runaway slaves in order to help them relocate to areas away from the places they had lived enslaved. There were two forms of abolitionist that I have labeled the violent and the non-violent kind. The violent kind, like John Brown's brand of abolition, believed that change through violence was the way to finally get rid of slavery in the U.S. A raid he staged to prove his point would result in the loss of his life along with the lives of two of his sons and several of his followers. While John Brown's raid was a failure, but the message his actions sent to the south was clear, there were whites in the north ready and willing to arm and fight with the slaves to end slavery.
The majority of abolitionists, however, chose the non-violent form of protest against slavery and participate in the Underground Railroad the clandestine system set up to assist runaway slaves on their journey to freedom. The safe-houses, wagons, and boats maintained by the farmers, shopkeepers, clergymen, and citizens who worked for the abolition of slavery risked life, limb, property, and freedom since at the times helping a runaway slave was against the law. If caught helping a runaway slave, in some cases the abolitionist was just as likely to suffer the same fate as the slave they were trying to protect. That is why I believe the Juneteenth Day Celebration is a reason for the black and white abolitionist to party. Beyond all the famous abolitionists that are mentioned in history books like Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, William Stills, and Susan B. Anthony, there are countless other names of abolitionists that were there manning the invisible tracks of the Underground Railroad until slavery in the U.S. was gone.
Many abolitionists refused to acknowledge their participation in abolition because of the illegality of it I guess. Others, like William Stills, held on to the notes he made chronicling his involvement with the Underground Railroad; in the hope that his written accounts might someday be responsible for reuniting slave families. Those notes have been turned into a book bearing his name, William Still. After slavery many abolitionists turned their energy toward other social injustices and took on other social issues of the day, it would take some time but because of the abolitionist movement women would eventually gain the right to vote a right the American men of African descent had been given with the passage of the 15th Amendment, again, thanks in part to the abolitionist.
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