Topic of expanding slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Topic of expanding slavery - Essay Example William Lloyd Garrison, a respected proponent for ending slavery in the 19th century, spoke out on behalf of slaves by utilizing Gods will as a means to sway voters against the practice. In his work entitled Declaration of Sentiments of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Garrison states, "every American citizen, who detains a human being in involuntary bondage as his property, is, according to Scripture, a man-stealer" (wwnorton.com, 2007). What this suggests is that Garrison is attempting to use religious doctrine as a means to coerce plantation owners (or any other slave owner) to remember that God did not condone nor would he reward individuals who kept other men as their own property. With such a strong Christian-based faith system in 19th century America, individuals with the courage similar to that of Garrison were attempting to suggest that God would cast judgment on slave owners in negative fashion. When fear of God is instilled on faithful followers, the end result is typica lly a shift in values. Further, this appeared to be a time of reasoning, where intellectual prowess and improvements in the social condition of the nation were primary objectives for enlightened people (or at least those who believed they were sophisticated). When slaves were being kept in bondage, without access to books and higher education at that time, they were not becoming enlightened individuals (wwnorton.com). With such a large emphasis on intellectualism, Northerners began to realize, offering a rather subjective analysis, that unless these slaves received a proper moral and intellectual education, they would not become active and productive members of society. Imposing the belief in higher thinking, then, was another rationale that caused the shift toward freeing slaves, or at least preventing the expansion of slavery into the Western regions of the