Short Answer
Note: Your teacher will grade your responses to the following question to ensure you receive proper credit for your answer.
Some historians say that attacks by abolitionists actually strengthened sectionalism in the South instead of weakening it. How might the abolitionists have been contributing to the tensions arising over slavery? Provide two specific examples of the Southern response to the abolitionist attacks.
(3 points)
The abolitionists might have been contributing to tensions arising over slavery by directly challenging the legitimacy and morality of the institution of slavery. Their demands for the immediate emancipation of slaves and their widespread dissemination of anti-slavery literature and propaganda could have deeply offended and threatened the Southern slaveholders.
One example of the Southern response to abolitionist attacks is the passage of laws known as gag rules, which prohibited the discussion or debate of anti-slavery petitions in Congress. These laws aimed to silence the abolitionist movement and prevent any further challenges to the institution of slavery.
Another example is the formation of vigilante groups like the Ku Klux Klan, which used violence and intimidation to suppress abolitionist activities and maintain the status quo of slavery. These clandestine organizations targeted abolitionist leaders, destroyed their property, and instilled fear among the African American population.
Overall, these Southern responses to abolitionist attacks demonstrate the strong opposition and resistance faced by the abolitionist movement in the South, further exacerbating the sectionalism and tensions over slavery.