Question:

How was the rhetoric used by abolitionists effective in gaining support for the abolitionist
movement?

Historical Context:

​The abolitionist movement in the United States began during the Second Great Awakening in
the late 18th and early 19th centuries, which focused on religion, morality, and human rights.
The widespread institution of slavery in the Americas had come under increasing scrutiny and
criticism, and many people began to speak out against these practices; together they formed
the abolitionist movement. Abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass
were the faces of the movement and convinced many to join the cause. The Civil War was a
critical moment in the history of abolitionism, and Union victory in 1865 ended slavery in the
United States. The abolitionist movement had a significant role in ending the system of slavery,
and the effects of the movement continue to be felt to this day.

Transition:
Abolitionists in the 18th and 19th centuries used many forms of rhetoric to get their points
across to their audience. One main device being Sentimentalism.

Sentimentalism:

The shift from moral and religious arguments to appealing to the emotion of readers allowed
Sentimentalism to be an effective way of generating support for the abolitionist movement.
Sentimentalism is the expression of feelings of sadness and sympathy in writing and speech. Its
role was to affect readers on an emotional level in an attempt to raise awareness, generate
sympathy and fury, and create action on behalf of the enslaved. It specifically targeted and
gained support of white women through the detailed description of anguish felt by black mothers
because of the destruction of their families.

Reason for its success:

Sentimentalism transcended race and class differences because of its success in creating an
emotional connection between the enslaved and northern white families. This sharing of
emotion made the argument of abolitionism more appealing as it exposed white northerns to the
horrors and violent nature of slavery

Transition:
Another main rhetorical device used predominantly by black abolitionists were personal
accounts of their experiences with slavery.
Imagery and Personal Accounts:

In "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave," Douglass uses his
experiences as a slave to shed light on the brutality of slavery. He writes about the violence and
abuse he and other slaves endured, and includes his own thoughts and emotions about being a
slave. Through his personal story, Douglass aims to expose the harsh truths of slavery and
inspire others to fight against it.

Reason for its success:

The imagery used by Douglass depicted the horrors of slavery that many Northerners had not
experienced or seen first-hand. His masterful use of scene building gives the reader the
opportunity to experience what he went through in his journey to freedom.

Transition:
Lastly, turning towards a religious standpoint was the rhetorical device of demonization

Demonization:

White abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison was an avid advocate for the emancipation of all slaves
and garnered support for the moment through moral suasion. He used many forms of rhetoric to
convince the North of the immorality of slavery and one interesting and effective device was
demonization, the representation of something as evil and dangerous. He along with other
abolitionists used the image of Satan to describe the system of slavery. In his writings, Garrison
describes the southern slave states with characteristics of Satan such as tyrannical, degraded,
and immoral to create a negative image surrounding slavery. He contrasts the evil of slavery
with the righteous and moral movement of abolitionism ultimately advocating Northerners to join
the cause to defeat the evil of peculiar institution.

Reason for its success:

The appeal to morality of Northernists was the reason this form of rhetoric was effective. By
aligning the South and slavery with Satan, it allowed the North to rally under the call to fight evil
and remove it from the system. It appealed to religious sentiment as well, since many
Northerners joined the cause under the impression that they were fighting on “God’s side.”

Which was most effective?:

It’s hard to choose which forms of rhetoric had the most impact on the abolitionist movement, as
they all had a purpose in convincing Northerners to join the cause. Whether it be the creation of
emotional connections used by black abolitionists or the appeal to morality and justice by white
abolitionists, all forms of rhetoric were important in the fight for abolition.
Contemporary Relevance:

In contemporary times, the abolitionist movement supports efforts to end modern forms of
slavery, such as human trafficking, forced labor, and child labor. Abolitionists work to generate
understanding and to support policies that defend the rights of vulnerable individuals. As a result
of their efforts, legislature such as the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act has
been passed to combat the human trafficking market and to protect victims. Overall, the efforts
of the abolitionists in contemporary times to educate the public and to call for action have been
successful in the movement to eradicate all forms of slavery.

Sources:

Boocker, David. “Garrison, Milton, and the Abolitionist Rhetoric of Demonization.” American
Periodicals, vol. 9, 1999, pp. 15–26. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20771127. Accessed 14
Dec. 2022.

Doyle, Nora. “Imagining the Slave Mother: Sentimentalism and Embodiment in Antislavery Print
Culture.” Maternal Bodies: Redefining Motherhood in Early America, University of North
Carolina Press, 2018, pp. 175–202. JSTOR,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5149/9781469637211_doyle.10. Accessed 14 Dec. 2022.

Matlack, James. “The Autobiographies of Frederick Douglass.” Phylon (1960-), vol. 40, no. 1,
1979, pp. 15–28. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/274419. Accessed 14 Dec. 2022.