Resistance By Aboliitionists (College Board AP® US History)
Study Guide
Manufacturing of North v Agriculture of the South
The North and South continued to be divided over the slavery system
The North largely opposed the expansion of slavery for a combination of economic and moral reasons
The South continued to rely on slavery to support their agricultural economy
Key features of the North
Economy
The North’s economy was industrialized and manufacturing-based
Factories produced goods such as textiles, iron, and machinery
Labor system
Relied on laborers in factories that worked for wages
Often immigrants, workers from rural areas, and native-born citizens
Population
The North’s population grew quickly to approximately 18.5 million people by the 1850s
The population increase was due to industrialization and immigration
Stance on slavery
Many Northern leaders were abolitionists
The North did not necessarily want to ban the slave system, just confine it to the South and prevent expansion
Key features of the South
Economy
The South had an agriculture-based economy
Focused on cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar
Labor system
The agricultural economy was deeply tied to slave labor
Enslaved peoples worked the plantations which drove the region’s economy
Population: The South had a smaller population than the North
A population of about 5.5 million free people and 3.5 million enslaved people
Stance on slavery
Pro-slavery groups in the South wanted to expand the slave system into new territories
Pro-slavery groups believed slavery was essential for the South’s economic survival
New land was needed to continue the agricultural economy
Free Soil Movement
The Free Soil Movement was a political and social campaign which arose in opposition to the spread of slavery in new territories
It was made up of a group of politicians. Core members were a mix of:
Northern Democrats
Whigs
abolitionists
Free Soilers thought that the spread of slavery would give an unfair economic advantage to slaveowners, making it difficult for wage workers to compete for jobs
The movement aimed to keep the slave system out of new territories
To ensure new territories would remain open for free labor and settlement
Worked Example
Which explains the difference between the Free Soil Movement and the Abolitionist Movement?
A. The Free Soil Movement advocated equal rights for all African Americans in all states, while the Abolitionist Movement wanted to extend slavery into the territories.
B. The Free Soil Movement supported the establishment of slave states in the western territories, while the Abolitionist Movement opposed slavery even in existing states.
C. The Free Soil Movement focused on preventing the expansion of slavery into new territories, while the Abolitionist Movement sought to end slavery altogether in the United States.
D. The Free Soil Movement was mainly concerned with the economic rights of enslaved people, while the Abolitionist Movement sought to free enslaved people based on moral grounds.
Answer:
C. The Free Soil Movement focused on preventing the expansion of slavery into new territories, while the Abolitionist Movement sought to end slavery altogether in the United States.
Rationale:
The Free Soil Movement opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories but did not work to abolish slavery in Southern states where slavery was well entrenched. The Abolitionist Movement sought the complete annihilation of slavery throughout the United States and its territories.
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