Abolition Movement

Definition

The Abolition Movement was a social and political push for immediate emancipation of all slaves and ending racial discrimination and segregation in America during 18th & 19th centuries.

Related terms

Underground Railroad: A network of secret routes used by enslaved African Americans to escape into free states or Canada with help from abolitionists who were sympathetic to their cause.

Emancipation Proclamation: An executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 freeing slaves in Confederate-held territories during Civil War.

Frederick Douglass: An escaped slave who became prominent abolitionist, author, public speaker, and advocate for women's rights.