The abolition movement was a force to reckon with in it day and inadvertently serving a significant role in the steady eradication of slavery in the United States. The abolitionist faction was a culmination of men, women, negros, and whites who all came together to fight this vice in the society (Aptheker, 1941). They eventually succeeded at a great cost of life resulting from the civil war but the seed was sown and it has grown since then. These individuals ushered in an era of freedom that only grew from there. These individuals were primarily responsible reformers as they fought amicably to get their voices heard. Though some disgruntled members chose to use force to get their points across, the majority of abolitionists argued out their point from a spiritual angle centered on humane treatment. These people being the majority set the spirit for the movement which kept the followers and speakers from getting to become irresponsible agitators.
The abolitionist movement was spurred on immensely by the declaration of independence. A combination of revivals, evangelism, and the culmination of the declaration of independence is responsible for a drastic change in society that empowered the abolitionist movement. Society at the time had been conditioned to be callus and hard through the generational dependence on slavery. When the declaration of independence emerged, the nation brought forward the idea of humane equality which introduced the idea of higher moral standards among those in society (Ferrell, 2006). When this document was embraced by society, the world aspired for more than they knew in the past. Most people finally believed and felt that the reality of equality was not only achievable but something worth the fight. The lifted sense of morality led those in society to view slavery, not as a form of economic stimulus but rather sin against humanity. This change in public perception changed the tide in the fight against slavery.
The Abolitionist movement faced countless challenges. One of these challenges came in the form of oppressive legislation aimed at silencing the voices of those who spoke against the ideology of slavery. The house of representatives at the time came up with a gag rule legislation. This new law stated that all petitions, papers, memorials, or any propaganda material relating to the abolition of slavery be silenced. This move affected the post as abolitionist mail was burned, papers promoting, or even speaking on the issue were also incinerated (Ferrell, 2006. This step however led to a response where those spreading the message got even more creative. While the government silenced the mainstream media, social outreach was going on in churches, underground abolitionist publications spread further to reach a wider audience in the north, while writers and orators were empowered to speak out through the now outlawed platform of written media. The collective pursuit from the government also brought various stakeholders together leading to the creation of a united front that grew stronger as time went by.
During the abolitionist movement, the unity of purpose brought together all aspects of society behind the great cause that was the eradication of slavery. These aspects were men and women from all ethnicities. As this discussion was going on, society was gradually coming to terms with what human rights were and what freedoms one should have simply as a human being. The women at the time were fighting for the end of slavery but as the abolitionists were arguing out their lack of rights and freedoms, this discussion shed a light on the rights and freedoms women also lacked. This idea was made clearer when reality struck that even if the abolitionist movement succeeded and there was to be a vote, the women themselves could not participate. The inequalities pointed out during the abolitionist movement shed light on the similar oppression that women were under all this time.