Key Figures and Events in African-American History

Notable African-American Abolitionists

Robert Purvis was an important member of the abolitionist community in the United States during the mid-1800s. Originally from South Carolina, Purvis was only one-quarter black, and although he was light-skinned enough to pass for white, he chose to present himself as a black man. Purvis was significant for his association with a number of abolitionist causes, including the founding of the American Anti-Slavery Society, the Young Men's Antislavery Society, and the American Moral Reform Society (AMRS), as well as the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee. (Alexander 506) He wrote "Appeal of Forty Thousand Citizens to Protest Disenfranchisement in Pennsylvania," used his home as a stop on the Underground Railroad, and supported black troops during the Civil War.

John Wesley Cromwell was born into slavery but went on to become a lawyer, organizer, historian, educator, and writer. Freed in 1851 when his father purchased his family's freedom, John returned to Virginia after the Civil War to open a private school for freedmen. When his school was taken over by the American Missionary Association, he became an instructor and principal. He was also involved in politics, becoming a delegate to both the first Republican convention and the Virginia Constitutional Convention. After graduating from law school, he became a civil servant in the Post Office until he retired in 1885, after which he became a teacher in the public school system.

Thought to have originated from Barbados, James Barbadoes was another leading black member of the abolitionist cause in the North during the early and mid-1800s. He too was a founding member of the American Anti-Slavery Society, a signer of the Declaration of Sentiments, and a member of the New England Anti-Slavery Society. ("Barbadoes, James G.")

One of the most important female members of the antislavery community was Susan Paul. In 1833, she was invited to "participate in a meeting of the New England Anti-Slavery Society." ("Paul, Susan") She and 30 black children from her school sang for the group. She is recognized as a leading advocate for education as a component of the abolitionist movement. She was one of only two black women delegates to the 1837 Anti-Slavery Convention, but died of an illness in 1841.

The Rise of Black Nationalism

Black Nationalism is the belief that "African-Americans as a distinct people should pursue collective political action rooted in their common history and their ostensibly common interests." (Alex-Assensoh 338) In effect, African-Americans should function as a unified political group and exercise their collective political power. In the 1840s and 1850s, Black Nationalism replaced the earlier movement to remove blacks from American society and return them to Africa. It marked the beginning of the African-American political movement, which would ultimately result in the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

Westward Expansion and the Slavery Question

As a result of the American victory in the Mexican War, vast tracts of land—essentially the entire American Southwest—became part of the United States. The California Gold Rush accelerated the rate at which Americans spread into these areas. As more and more Americans migrated westward, the issue of slavery grew increasingly important as these new territories sought statehood. Any new additions to the Union, whether pro-slavery or anti-slavery, would upset the delicate balance between slave states and non-slave states. Southern slaveholders wanted to bring their slaves into the new territories, while abolitionists sought to restrict the expansion of slavery. The issue of slavery in the territories led to violent confrontations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces and ultimately contributed to the Civil War.