Reasons for Abolishing Slavery
Abolishing slavery was on the United States government's mind heavily during the years of 1787-1857. The government didn't turn there face from this horrible spreading epidemic either; they made significant efforts towards abolishing slavery. They hit hard on the fact that it was so immoral and someday would eventually be abolished. The government constructed a few main ideas to help abolish slavery and they were stopping slave trade, prohibiting slavery in new territories and humanizing African Americans. To start off the government started by stopping slave trade outside of the US. This would reduce the number of slaves in the states in the near future and prevent a bigger slavery problem from happening in future. Henry Clay senator from Kentucky was determined to find a solution and the Compromise of 1850 soon came about. Many opposed this act but many greatly accepted it. Another way the United States government worked towards abolishing slavery was by prohibiting it in new territories. The government did not want these new territories to turn to slave states and then soon overtake free states and become a country of slavery. Resulted was The Northwest Ordinance which mainly stated "There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory" They stated the Ordinances and threatened it need to be followed. "The doctrine of self government is right-absolutely and externally right" Abraham Lincoln stated concerning of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. "When the white man governs himself, and also governs another man, that is more than self-government, that is despotism. If the negro is a man, why then my ancient faith teaches me that all men are created equal" remarked Lincoln in his Kansas-Nebraska speech. Which comes into the third main tactic; Show that African Americans were people and citizens. To Humanize Blacks and show equality. Also in the Dred Scott Case the government made the argument to show and explain that slaves were human and