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The antebellum period in American history embodies the time before and after the civil
war that occurred in 1812. However, some historians protract this period to include the years
when the constitution was adopted. The rise of abolitionism was the core element of the
antebellum era, which polarized the nation into abolitionists and protagonists of forced labor. As
well, the country experienced an economic shift due to the prevalence of industrial revolution. A
look at the abolitionist activities by David Walker, Maria Stewart, and Frederick Douglass
provide insight into the rise of black political and social thoughts, which insisted the immediate
emancipation of slaves and the eradication of racial segregation.
David Walker
David Walker, a distinguished African-American abolitionist, was an active anti-slavery
activist. His audience entailed the entire people of America including the blacks, whites,
Christians, and slaves. The appeals and works of Walker show that he was angry at the
perpetrators of slavery and the whites who considered dark skin color as a sign of inferiority
.
He explored the deplorable working conditions of the Israelites slaves in Egypt, the Helots in
Sparta, and Roman laborers. In his argument, he compared their slavery to a verse in the Bible,
which contains a heap of insupportable insults to Israelites by the Egyptians. The core problem
of the ideas proposed by Walker concerns their radical nature
. They were thoroughly based on
social and political reforms, which sometimes triggered resistance from other abolitionists and
the whites. In comparison to Frederick's political thought, David Walker was not pleased with
the slavery.
Frederick Douglass
