Constitution of American Anti-Slavery League - 1833

Résumé du document

The document we are about to comment is an extract taken from The Constitution of the American Anti-Slavery Society, an abolitionist organization founded in 1833. It is therefore a political and historical document, and we will analyze it as such.

Extraits

[...] The article III of this Constitution evokes the first aspect. Slaves, who are "fellow citizens" (l.28) have "religious privileges" (l.39). Just like the whites, they are children of God. The idea that faith brings people together is put to the test here, in trying to convince of the humanity of black people. The other aspect has to do with duty, a key aspect of the Christian religion. It is used in addition to the idea of Righteousness: if you don't want to do it because it is right, do it because you have to. [...]

[...] The text itself is very rich and can be read as a sermon, although a very politically charged one. In the preamble, the authors acknowledge the very broad audience the text aims to reach. It only fits the formal style of the text: a preach for the masses, a disguised political manifesto in the service of what is right, a reflection of the American Constitution that appeals to its ideas and values. All of these aspects make this document an historically important piece. [...]

[...] The document we are about to comment is an extract taken from The Constitution of the American Anti-Slavery Society, an abolitionist organization founded in 1833. It is therefore a political and historical document, and we will analyze it as such. The text is formally written like a constitution, pleading for the abolition of slavery in the United States. When it was written in 1833, it was far from an accepted opinion that slavery was profoundly unmoral. We will therefore see how the authors of the text try to appeal to the traditional American values. [...]

[...] The first part of the text can be read as a preamble as much as a religious sermon, with an emphasis on the Divine in one long anaphora using the word "whereas". First of all, the references to God are plenty in the text, and come in different forms: "the Most High God" "the Creator" "Almighty God" (l.8) among others. This textual omnipresence helps create a divine atmosphere: God is everywhere and he is watching. The views presented in the text are not those of the authors, but come from the Creator himself. Hence, they cannot be argued with traditional, earthly, political arguments. [...]

[...] The reversed gradation "consciences, hearts and interests" (l.15-16) builds a bridge between the Divine and the earthly under the idea of Righteousness. If one were to connect with the Divine, he would only see the truth, which is that slavery should be abolished. The notion of moral is very important here. As stated earlier, it comes not from the Earth, but from the sky, and God himself. If He says that slavery should be abolished, who are you to argue with it? [...]