Interpret the Evidence
Why did William Lloyd Garrison characterize the Constitution as a proslavery document (Document 11.11)? What, according to Garrison, were the goals of the Constitution’s authors? How does he describe Northerners and Southerners?
What charges does Stephen Symonds Foster levy against the clergy (Document 11.12)? Why do you think this address aroused such passion among abolition supporters and opponents? How do Foster’s claims that churches are proslavery compare with Garrison’s claim that the Constitution is proslavery?
What were the demands of the Liberty Party in 1844 (Document 11.13)? How did the party invoke the Constitution to argue for abolition?
How does Gerrit Smith defend the position that the Constitution is an antislavery document (Document 11.14)? Did Smith believe that the federal government possessed the authority to abolish slavery? How do you think a Garrisonian would have responded to Smith’s argument?
Why did Frederick Douglass adopt an antislavery interpretation of the Constitution (Document 11.15)? What does he mean by describing slavery as “a system of lawless violence”? How, according to Douglass, could Americans best fight slavery?
Put It in Context
Which abolitionists do you think made the most compelling arguments, and why are these arguments so effective? Can you identify any middle ground where Garrisonians and political abolitionists could agree?
How did abolitionism resemble other reform movements of this era in its stance on politics versus moral suasion? How did it differ?