Violence In Antebellum America

In antebellum America, abolitionists used a variety of tactics to achieve their ends, from calling for violence to appealing to religious sentiments—often even combining the two approaches. Many abolitionists such as John Brown and David Walker foresaw that any dismantling of the South’s “peculiar institution” would foment bloodshed. In his Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, David Walker writes that only after “my color [has rooted] some of them out of the very face of the earth…they shall have enough of making slaves of, and butchering, and murdering us in the manner which they have” (115). For David Walker, it seemed only natural that slavery, because of its intrinsically violent nature, would come to a violent end. Likewise,
John Brown predicted that others would soon take up arms “in [sic] behalf of His despised poor” and would bring a bloody close to the institution of slavery (158). Both of these men recognized how vital slavery was to the economy and society of the South, in particular, and how impossible it would be to entice wealthy plantation owners and people in power to give up the system that provided them with the basis of the region’s economic prosperity. Nevertheless, despite their violet predictions, both men justify the dismantling of the institution of slavery through religion and reference, time and again, religious arguments for why slavery should be abolished. Both recognize that in order to stop the evil of slavery and the sins that go along it, it is necessary to endure violence between those who are fighting for abolition and others who wish to keep the system of slavery intact. Another abolitionist, Harriet Beecher Stowe also recognized the violence that was inherent to slavery but tried to appeal to peoples’ religious consciousness rather than call for violence in retaliation.
In many ways Beecher Stowe’s more moderate method was a success and her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was extremely popular. In the work, Stowe was able to showcase the virtues of Uncle Tom, a slave, while condemning Legree, a slave owner to suffer as a sinner. In a dramatic, Jesuslike moment, Uncle Tom proclaims, “Mas’r, if you was sick, or in trouble, or dying, and I could save ye, I’d give ye my heart’s blood…don’t bring this great sin on your soul…if ye don’t repent, [your troubles] won’t never end!” (146). In her portrayal of both Uncle Tom and Legree, Beecher Stowe is hoping to demonstrate how slavery is damaging and dangerous for not only the slaves but the slave owners, who, if they are not confronted by the violence that John Brown and David Walker entreat for, will surely be punished in the afterlife. Beecher Stowe’s Christlike portrayal of Uncle Tom was also an effort to devaluate the harsh slave codes of the South and mitigate the widespread fear that upon being freed, slaves would rise up and repay their former masters in
kind. Though many such fears were groundless and were simply a tool of propoganda, there were several salve revolts, such as the one led by Nat Turner. Nat Turner’s rebellion too melded together violence and religion and Turner claimed that he had been told by God to carry out “the work of death” and murder the white slave owners of his community (121). Turner and his accomplices were successful in carrying out dozens of murders, but were ultimately arrested and executed. Finally, before the passing of the XIII, XIV, and XV amendments, the abolition movement was very much grounded in religion, and oftentimes, intertwined with violence. Though the Civil War, which was the catalyst that brought a close to the institution of slavery,, was clearly violent, the most popular advocates, like Harriet Beecher Stowe, against slavery were moderate and did not preach violence.