March 7th Abolitionists Garrison- declaration of sentiments o As in Douglas, he appeals to the declaration of independence in suggesting that the American

n reovlutionaries werent true to their own principles Appeals to some notion of, if not American exceptionalsim, the way America might be able to serve as a model for the world. And this can only be the case if the US is true to its ideal (Lincoln takes a similar approach, btu with more equivocation). o Reiterates his commitment to non0violent means to achieve his ends. o Makes a recognizably lockean argument against slavery based on self possession or self ownership Each person having a property right in himself or herself. Says maintain that no man has a right to enslave or imbrute his brother, to hold or ackbowledge him as a piece of merchandise, to brutalize his mind by denying him the means of intellectual, moral and social improvement Suggests something of his Broader emancipatory program- opens a lot of doors beyond emancipation itself. The right to enjoy liberty is inalienable, to invade it is to usurop the pregoative of jehovahl every man has a right to his own body and to the products of his labour. o Suggests in contrast to others, that in dealing with slavery there should be no compensation for slave owners for the loss of their property in slaves Since slaves are no rightful property, no compensation is warranted. Slavery is already theft, not rightful property. Because it would surrender the great fundamental principle that man could not hold property in man. Because the holders of slaves are not the just proprietors of what they claim, freeing slaves brings the ownership of self back to the selves restoring the slave to themselves. Mentions in passing the possibility of reparations- slaves and there descendants produced much wealth in the US due to their slave labour, and their descendants are disproportionatly poor, and one thing that they really lack is accumulated wealth via property. If compensation is to be given at all, it should be given to the outraged and guiltless slaves o The largest source of wealth in the US is via home-ownership, historically African americans lacked the kind of income to enable them to get into the housing markets, but up to the middle fo the twentieth century housing markets were largely exclusionary (residential restrictive covenants- agreement with developpers that only allowed the sale of a house to certain groups of people.)

And then whites were able to accumulate property that they were able to pass on.

Channing o Background 1780-1842, Congregationalist minister More fully elaborates than garrison a basically Lockean argument Influenced by Kant to some extent, articulates ideas about human dignity that are very Kantian (without the racially stratified elements). o Human rights are rooted in peoples moral being, or moral capacities The concisoucness of indestructible rights is part of our moral being, it involves the persuasion that we cannot be owned as a tree or a brute, as a man we cannot justly be made a slave. Cannot be made slaves because we all act with the capacity for moral responsibility Articulates an understanding of the essential equality of men. In doing so, does not deny that there are enumerable diversities among men, but that these differences among us are beside the point. Can still work with the argument of equality. o The idea that there are difference among us led some people to avoid talking about equality (besides a very basic legal equality). o these diversities among men are nothing in comparison to the attrbiutes in which they are similar, and it is to this which constitutes there essential equality. All have same rational nature and power of conscious, all find happiness in the virtuous use of these divine faculties. Not a secular argument o On property, and the wage labour contract, as being quite distinct from slavery That a human being cannot be justly held and used as property is apparent from the very nature of property- its an exclusive right. Makes no sense to use the concept of property in relation to other people, because each has ownership in themselves. To deny the right of a human being to himself, is an absurdity to gross to be refuted by anything but a simple statement. Things are the kind of things we can have property in, but not people. o Against critics of wage labour, channing argued that this contract exemplified what he was talking about in terms of property, and how people couldnt rightfully be property Suggests different from slavery, which is no contract at all. Doesnt suggest tehres no limitation to wage arrangements, but its still qualitatively differnet from slavery because it is contractual.

Can only give his labour BECAUSE he posseses it- gives it for considerations which he deems beneficial to himself, and the right conferred ceases upon violations of conditions on which it was bestowed (contract violations). Brownson would respond to what extent does the labourer have a choice. Kantian aspect- (which also is a Christian humanist aspect)- about the intrinsic human dignity of all human beings no earthly or celestial language can exaggerate the worth of a human being; thought, reason, the capacity for virtue, for Christian love, in a moral destiny, an intimate moral connection to god Very much Christian aspects thus every human being should be recognized as an end, rather than a means to somebody elses end or purposes. Such a ebing was plainly made for an end in himself, he is a person, not a thing, an end not a mere instrument or means. Made for hisown virtue or happiness.

Douglas o Background 1817-1895 Two essays: what are coloured people doing for themselves, and what is, to the slave, the 4th of July. Refutations of slavery being a caring paternalism, and a less damaging relationship then wage labour relationships Two texts convey to facets of douglass political thinking An emphasis that is more or less emphatic on the idea of self-help. A more radical argument about the fundamental injustice of slavery and of America society insofar as it was a slave society. Douglas was also an avowed womens rights advocate. African aemrican thought has had important liberal, conservative, and radical streams, and of the radical streasm, there has been nationalist branches and socialist branches; further complicated by the fact that some black nationalist thought has had conservative cultural aspects. DeBois represented generally the socialist branch Douglass thought was not easy to pigeonhole- it has liberal elements (equal opportunity), and radical and nationalist elements o What are coloured people doing for themselves Both liberal and nationalist arguments Saying both what are you doing for yourself, and what are we doing for ourselves Appeals chiefly to free blacks in the north (not slaves). Three interrelated aspects of his argument Self help (both individualist and nationalist)

it is not enough to know that white men and women are devoted to our cause, we should know what is being done amongst ourselves o White people are removing barriers to our improvement which white people themselves set up. o But, the main work must be carried on and concluded by African americans. Gives a distinctively individualist emphasis to this- we only deserve what we do for ourselves. o it is evident that we can be improved and elevated only just so fast and far as we should improve and elevate ourselves. Some notion of self responsibility. To free African americans, not that they have everything going for themselves, need to employ our (constrained) resources. In some moments, his emphasis is different from Garrison and channing insofar as they emphasize rights and oppurtunties that all human beigns deserve simply on the basis of their humanity. Duoglas doesnt disagree with this, but he is placing an emphasis on self-help. One of the things necessary to prove the couloured man worthy of equal freedom is ann preserving effort on his aprt to gain it. Desrve no blessing for which thye are unwilling to labour. A man who will not labour to gain his rights, is a man who would not, if he had them, prize and defend them. Places emphasis relatedly on character (having character- or a strong moral foundation) what we the coloured people want is character, and this nobody can give us, it is a thing which we must get for ourselves, we get this character for ourselves as a people (nationalist), a change in our poltical condition would do very little for us without this. o Just giving us equal citizenship is something, but thats not all we need. Free blacks need todo something more for themselves. Emphasizes the fundamental importance of education (as the way to build character and thusr elated to the idea of self help). the fact that we are limted and circumscribed, ought rather to insight us to a more igiouros and perservering use of the elevating means within our reach than to dishearten us. The emansof education are at our command to such an extent as to make education possible; let us educate our children even though subject us to a courser and scantier diet and disrobe us of our few fine garments

A more radical demand implied in the latter part, which he articulates more fully in his 4th of uly speech. Notse that the oppurtunities for even free African americans were constrained in relation to white americans; but saying theres something we cand o within the constraints. Understood as saying at minimum, there are resources available to ourselves to maybe start our own schools, though it may not be adequate, at least its a start. o African americans still have some means of education at our command to such extent to at least make education possible. What to the slave is the fourth of July 1852 Addressing a different audience here- white americans and the country as a whole, insofar as they had more power to fix the country. Suggests that the ideas of freedom and equality that that holiday supposeuly celebrate had little or no tangible reality for black americans And that the situation of black americans raised important questions regarding the extent to which the Us was based upon the ideals that white americans celebrated on that holiday. :fellow citizens, allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here today? Are the great principles of political freedom embodied in the declaration of independence extended to African americans? Fourth of july is inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Addresses these problems more bitterly and rhetorically o Douglas finds it ridiculous that he need substantiate that hes a human being The manhood of the slave is conceded, it is admitted in the fact that statute books forbid teaching slave to read and right. When you can point to any such laws in reference to beasts of the field, then he will concede his opponents point. For the present, it is enough to confirm the equal manhood of black, is it not astonishing that while we are using all mechanical tools, engaged in all sorts of construction, acting as clearks, reading, writing, doctors, lawyers, clerks, poets, authors, etc. that while we are angaged in all matters and enterprises common to men, we are called upon to prove that we are men. A rhetorical argument. Suggests that he doesnt need to argue the wrongfulness of slavery, just points out the absurdity of it.

Cant be divinely ordained, because it is inhuman. 4th of July reveals the gross injustice and cruelty to which the slave is a constant victim.

Thoreau o Background Transendentalism and politics An early proto-environmentalist A transcendentalist A 19th century philosophical movement Critics of unthinking conformity with society Encouraged each to establish an original relationship to the universe. o Sought this in relation to nature. o Others sought this through experimentation in utopian experimental communities. A strong opponent of slavery and of US expansionism. (US war with mexico)which was justified by ideals of a manifest destiny of white americans to control the contienent Considered the war as an effort to expand the reach of slaver