Question

During and after slavery. Northerners increasingly had second thoughts about emancipating enslaved blacks. Is this true? Why? What were their reasons?

Answer 1

During slavery, the Northerners had mixed second thoughts on whether to accept enslaved blacks' emancipation; this was true since traits and efforts to bar Black Americans from championing their rights were evidenced. America had approximately four million African Americans, and about 3.5 million were enslaved (Berlin & Ira, 2009). The Northerners never anticipated that the civil war would overturn their notions and promote African American freedoms. However, Black Americans took advantage of the situation and championed the granting of their civil and economic rights.

Initially, the Dred Scott court decision of 1858 ruled that none of America's African descent would be granted American citizenship. The ruling was violated after the civil war since Black Americans demanded equality, and their grievances had to be addressed to ensure peaceful existence in America. The Northerners feared that granting Black Americans freedom would deny them laborers in their plantations. The Slave trade earned lucrative benefits to merchants who would no longer be available (Ager et al., 2019). The slave would also demand equal political and economic rights and fair treatment in public institutions, which Northerners never accepted hence rejecting their freedom.

 

 

 

 

 

During slavery, the Northerners had mixed second thoughts on whether to accept enslaved blacks' emancipation; this was true since traits and efforts to bar Black Americans from championing their rights were evidenced.