HISTORY 1DD3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley, Primogeniture
19 Jun 2018
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Black Americans and Slavery
● About 500,000 blacks (20% of pop.) lived in America and only 25,000 were free.
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● Even those that were free were subject to curfews and could not vote.
● The war opened up some opportunities for African-Americans, but they grew out of
the army’s need for personnel rather than a commitment to freedom and equality.
● In the decade before the war, opposition to slavery swelled, especially as resistance
leaders compared the America-Britain relationship with that of slave and master.
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● Quakers began prohibited slave owning. The D of I, spurred more attack on slavery
and most of the north (exc. NY 1799, NJ 1804, NH never) began phasing out slavery.
● The revolutionary generation took gradual steps to abolishing slavery and they also
did not press for action in the south as it could bankrupt or end the Union.
● No state south of PA abolished slavery, but all states (exc. SC and GA) ended slave
imports and all but NC made it easy for masters to free slaves.
● “Free persons of color” faced unequal pay, and remained poor laborers, servants, or
tenant farmers. A limited amount however, became landowners or skilled artisans.
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●Benjamin Benneker gained recognition from whites. He was one of three
surveyors who laid out the new capital in Wash. DC and later published a series of
almanacs. Benneker even went so far as to scold Jefferson for holding views of black
inferiority. Phillis Wheatley was a poet who linked liberty sought by Americans
with slaves.
● Most states granted some civil rights to free blacks after the war. Free blacks who
met the property qualification gained voting rights in several states, and most
northern states repealed curfew and guaranteed free blacks equal treatment in court.
● The revolution didn’t end nor brought equality, but began to slowly eliminate slavery.
White Women and their rights
●Abigail Adams, despite being one of the shrewdest political commentators
alongside her husband John Adams, never had a public role. Nevertheless, gender
barriers were partially relaxed during the war and proved significant for some.
● White women’s role in colonial resistance broadened in the war as female “camp
followers” served as cooks, launders, and nurses. A few female patriots, such as
Deborah Sampson, even disguised themselves as men and joined in the fighting.
● Most of the women stayed home, but even their roles changed as the ansense of
male heads required many to oversee servants and slaves and run the farms.
● Such experiences allowed women to act on matters traditionally for men. The
question was to what extent the new nation would make these gains permanent.
Native Americans and their land
● America’s promise of equal economic opportunity prompted expansion and
threatened Native lands. Even when Natives held their lands, diseases and alcohol
were dangers.
● Native Americans continued to intertwine European goods with their way of life, but
insisted on retaining control of their communities.
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● In this spirit the Chickasaws (Miss.) addressed Congress in 1783 asking for an end to
any encroachments without their consent. However, it appeared doubtful that the
new nation would concede even this much to the Natives.
State Governments
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Document Summary
About 500,000 blacks (20% of pop. ) lived in america and only 25,000 were free. Even those that were free were subject to curfews and could not vote. The war opened up some opportunities for african-americans, but they grew out of the army"s need for personnel rather than a commitment to freedom and equality. In the decade before the war, opposition to slavery swelled, especially as resistance leaders compared the america-britain relationship with that of slave and master. The d of i, spurred more attack on slavery and most of the north (exc. Ny 1799, nj 1804, nh never) began phasing out slavery. The revolutionary generation took gradual steps to abolishing slavery and they also did not press for action in the south as it could bankrupt or end the union. No state south of pa abolished slavery, but all states (exc. Sc and ga) ended slave imports and all but nc made it easy for masters to free slaves.
