Tracing Freedom: Intellectual Currents Behind the American Emancipation Movement
Keywords:
Revivalism, Movement, legislation, political culture, abolitionist, Emancipation Proclamation, constitutional interpretation.Abstract
This study investigates the intellectual foundations of the American emancipation movement, tracing the evolution of ideas from moral and religious critique to organized political reform between 1780 and 1870. By examining the interplay of Enlightenment rationalism, evangelical revivalism, and republican ideals, the study analyzes how concepts of conscience, equality, and citizenship were mobilized to shape public opinion and influence legislation. The research argues that emancipation was not merely a social or political phenomenon but a deliberate intellectual project, wherein moral reasoning was translated into political and legal reform. Drawing on primary sources including abolitionist newspapers, pamphlets, sermons, and legislative records, this study reconstructs the networks of thinkers, reform societies, and public intellectuals that bridged moral advocacy and political action. The study’s findings will illuminate the continuity and transformation of abolitionist thought and its enduring impact on American political culture.
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