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The American abolitionist movement was transformed by [[William Lloyd Garrison]] and reached its peak 1840-1850. The movement had little to do with the actual abolition of slavery, which was a war measure carried out by [[Abraham Lincoln]] and the Republican Party in 1862-65. The forces that were lined up for the continuation of slavery were strong and numerous; the abolitionists were few in number and had no political power before 1860 but were guided by a strong religious belief and the moral need to right a horrible wrong.

The American abolitionist movement was transformed by [[William Lloyd Garrison]] and reached its peak 1840-1850. The movement had little to do with the actual abolition of slavery, which was a war measure carried out by [[Abraham Lincoln]] and the Republican Party in 1862-65. The forces that were lined up for the continuation of slavery were strong and numerous; the abolitionists were few in number and had no political power before 1860 but were guided by a strong religious belief and the moral need to right a horrible wrong.

Abolitionists argued that the action of capturing Africans and selling them as slaves was as bad as the capture and selling of Joseph had been. Pro-slavery spokesmen pointed out that the Bible repeatedly endorsed slavery and denounced the abolitionists for trying to start a race war that would kill many thousands of blacks and whites, as happened in [[Haiti]] in the 1790s.

Abolitionists argued that the action of capturing Africans and selling them as slaves was as bad as the capture and selling of Joseph had been, and argued that it was against the fullness of the ethos of holy Christian love. Pro-slavery spokesmen pointed out that the Bible repeatedly sanctioned slavery and denounced the abolitionists for trying to start a race war that would kill many thousands of blacks and whites, as happened in [[Haiti]] in the 1790s.

Historians debate whether the abolitionists ignited a frenzy that led to a war with 600,000 deaths that could have been avoided. [[Neoabolitionist]]s are 20th century historians who used the moral themes of the original abolitionists to rewrite history in terms of the evils of slavery and racism.

Historians debate whether the abolitionists ignited a frenzy that led to a war with 600,000 deaths that could have been avoided. [[Neoabolitionist]]s are 20th century historians who used the moral themes of the original abolitionists to rewrite history in terms of the evils of slavery and racism.