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Abolition

Definition

Abolition was the movement to end slavery, which gained momentum in the United States during the early 19th century.

Analogy

Think of abolition like a group project where everyone is working towards one goal. Just like how you and your classmates might work together to finish a project on time, abolitionists worked together to end slavery.

Related terms

Emancipation Proclamation: This was an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862 that declared all slaves in Confederate-held territory free (although it didn't immediately end slavery everywhere).

Underground Railroad: A network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans to escape into free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists who were sympathetic to their cause.

Frederick Douglass: An escaped slave who became a prominent activist, author, and public speaker. He became a leader in the abolitionist movement, which sought to end the practice of slavery before and during the Civil War.