CONSTITUTIONAL CONTESTATIONS

A deep split in the abolitionist movement reveals the complexity of Douglass’ vision and ideology

Historian David Blight refers to Frederick Douglass as one of the most critical readers, as well as speakers and writers, of the time. This is in reference to Douglass’ radical reading of the US Constitution and the conflict it caused between himself and fellow abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. Garrison believed that the US Constitution was an exclusive, elitist text that did not hold a place for the abolition of slavery or provide a legal or moral precedent for abolition. In this sense, the US was constitutionally, fundamentally, intrinsically pro-slavery, a bleak thought for abolitionists to accept. In demonstration of his disgust at this, Garrison burned a copy of the Constitution.

At first, Douglass agreed with Garrison’s reasoning. However, he later became influenced by Lysander Spooner’s publication of The Unconstitutionality of

Slavery in 1846. This bolstered Douglass’ idea that the Constitution did not support slavery, and slavery was not enshrined in the very idea of America’s nationhood. The Constitution could and should be utilised as a tool to justify abolishing slavery, and was a document with good intentions that had been corrupted and misused. This caused Douglass and Garrison to break apart their partnership in 1847.

It was the greatest notable split in the American abolition movement.

Douglass’ understanding of how slavery was or was not bound up with the concept of the nation is seen by many historians as significant for its sophistication. Later, at the dawn of the Civil War, Douglass held great appreciation for Abraham Lincoln’s insight that slavery could only be abolished if the nation – the Union – was violently fought over and won on the premise of being a free, non-slaveholding country, creating a fresh start. Douglass was both radical and conservative, imagining the violent upheaval of his world to make space for a new reality, but in which the tools of the current world could be invaluable.

He knew that America could only exist free of slavery if it underwent a major transformation, yet he also campaigned fervently against the popular idea of ‘colonisation’, which suggested that slaves should be freed and sent to the Caribbean or back to Africa. Douglass saw that African-americans had to have a stake in building this new nation and deserved to fight and defend their freedom, and he convinced Lincoln to allow African-americans to serve in the Union Army. Though the US denied the humanity of slaves, Douglass did not seek to deny the US as his nation, nor see it as necessary to remove Black people in order to achieve freedom. Instead, Black people must themselves have a hand in building it. He was American and believed that America could be fundamentally redesigned to include and accept him.