EOTO Reflection - The Positives and Negatives of Slavery

The Positives and Negatives of Slavery

During the EOTO presentations, both the positives and negatives of slavery were discussed to further reinforce the mock trial done in class. Many different events were discussed that led to positive effects regarding the abolition of slavery, as well as negative effects, more specifically, the events and time periods that caused damage to society or certain people groups.

Above is an illustration of the Missouri Compromise.

To start with the positives, we can look at just one of the many examples given: The Missouri Compromise of 1820. Before this compromise, there were 11 free states and 11 slave states, and Missouri wanted to become a slave state. To maintain the balance, but also keep everyone happy, Henry Clay helped create a compromise between Missouri and the rest of the states. Maine was admitted as a free state, so there would still be an even number of slave and free states. It also drew a sort of proper "line" between the free and slave states. This balance remained very important as it helped keep people from fighting over beliefs and created a sort of mutual respect in society at the time. This is further reinforced by the 30-years of Sectional Peace, which was a 30-year lapse of time in which there was "sectional peace" or simply no conflict between states. 

This time of peace sadly came to an end in 1854 with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed slavery north of Missouri's southern border. Furthermore, in 1857, the Dred Scott decision ruled the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional and also ruled that African Americans could never become official citizens of the U.S. The collapse of the Missouri Compromise, which was one of the only things preventing a civil war between the northern and southern states, led directly to the Civil War in 1861. It also pushed the U.S. to consider new solutions to fix the issue of division rooted in differences in opinion on whether slavery is beneficial or not.

Above is a photo of John Brown.

Now, we need to look at the negatives. A good example to look at would be the legacy of John Brown. He was born in Connecticut and grew up in a strictly religious home. He grew up with the belief that slavery was morally evil and that action needed to be taken. He grew up in North Elba, New York, among black families. In 1855, he began to involve himself in violent conflicts in Kansas, such as the Pottawatomie Killings, which consisted of an anti-slavery party led by John Brown killing 5 people from a pro-slavery settlement. His most infamous event was his raid on Harpers Ferry. They went to the armory to try to steal their weaponry and gain an easy gateway to the south. This did not work out; however, after fighting for two days, Brown and his followers were subdued and later hanged for treason. This is important as it is considered today as one of the main incidents that led to the civil war.

In conclusion, looking at these kinds of things surrounding slavery is very important to see why it was abolished, and all of the events that led up to its abolition. I found it interesting to be able to see both sides at the same time and how they both led to the Civil War.