Abraham Lincoln stated, “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” The issue of slavery divided a prosperous nation in half. Slavery was viewed as dehumanizing, cruel, and inhumane. Slaves were forced to forgo their freedom and religion in order to be recognized as valuable property by their masters. Both Northerners and Southerners believed that slavery revolved around and the ideology of republicanism, humanity, and Christianity. While writers of slave narratives and abolitionists’ perused the termination of slavery, while white southerners believed in maintaining their own institutions.
Once slaves became apart of the South, they never thought they could be apart of a republic. Republicanism can be defined as one’s personal independence and freedom. Republicanism dissipated during the Second Great Awakening. The old belief of individual success transformed into collective success, which was commonly known as Democracy. The United States became more racially segregated, which lead to the rise of the abolition movement that occurred between 1831 and 1837. Active abolitionist such as William Lloyd Garrison spoke out against slavery in his issues of The Liberator. On September 3, 1831, Garrison wrote an article pertaining to the emancipation of slaves. The Liberator was read across the North, and was banned in the South. Garrison wrote, “Surrounded by such influences, and smarting under their newly made wounds, is it wonderful that they should rise to contend-as other “heroes” have contended- for their lost rights? It is not wonderful.” Garrison explains how slaves are united as one. Being united allows them to sacrifice everything including their life for