apush essay 6: Articles of Confederation

Submitted By justinwindley16
Words: 487
Pages: 2

Justin Windley Essay #6 – Zucchero
Period 8 10/27/2014 During the American Revolution, the status of women and slavery changed dramatically. Their status changed mainly due to the hardships the colonists faced during the war. They lacked capital now that Great Britain was longer on their side and people. This is where slaves and women gain a great responsibility. Slaves now had the option of escaping slavery by joining the army and women proclaimed a more public role in society. The American Revolution created a positive impact on slavery and ultimately raised their role in society. Slaves took part on both sides of the battlefield as in fighting for Great Britain and the colonists. They were both granted the same thing which was to be freed from slavery, but only one side would come out victorious. Slaves played two roles in the war. They served as soldiers where they served along-side white men who started to acknowledge them as people and not property. That is what the Declaration of Independence proclaimed that all men are created equal which ultimately means that Africans are equal as well. Many people agreed with this interpretation such as Quakers. They formed antislavery societies in 1775 because they believed slavery wasn’t humane. This role was where slaves made their name. Another role during the war was producing food for the soldiers. This was very convenient since slaves were good with the land and they could supply agricultural products. Other states began to abolish slavery such as Vermont in 1777 and Massachusetts in 1780. By 1786 almost every state in the north abolished slavery except Delaware, New York, and New Jersey. But many states in the south didn’t abolish slavery since they needed slaves the most due to them primarily using agriculture as a mean of income and slavery even increased with the cotton gin