Slavery In The 1830's As Abolitionists

Slavery took a hard hit in the 1830’s as Abolitionists began to harshly criticize the institution of slavery. There was also a few slave rebellions that ultimately failed that scared slave owners and other southerners. To combat this rough criticism and rebellion southern evangelicals interpreted the Bible as being literal and began to use certain verses to support slavery. “They pointed out, for example, that the patriarchs of Israel had owned slaves. Slavery had been practiced throughout the Roman world at the time of Christ, they noted, and the apostles had urged obedience to all secular laws, including those governing slavery.” (The American Journey Ch.11 Pg. 301) Ironically Northern evangelicals used the Bible to argue that slavery was