The Rhetorical Fragmentation of the Abolitionist Cause Post-Emancipation: A Case Study of Abolitionist Debate Surrounding Voting Rights in Reconstruction America
Open Access
Author:
Hahn, Maxwell
Area of Honors:
Communication Arts and Sciences
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Michael Steudeman, Thesis Supervisor Mary High, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Reconstruction Voting rights Equality Rhetorical criticism Abolitionists Movements Rhetoric Douglass Stanton Anthony Harper Suffrage Gender Race Fifteenth Amendment Debate
Abstract:
This thesis addresses the fragmentation of the abolitionist movement after the end of the American Civil War and after the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution realized the movement’s goal of ending the institution of slavery. During Reconstruction, abolitionists suffered differences of opinions and competing priorities that ultimately resulted in the loss of the momentum they had amassed by legally ending slavery. This thesis constitutes a case study of the debate surrounding the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment amongst abolitionists, attempting to untangle the moral and political complexities that the likes of Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony had to reconcile as they sought to advance voting rights and equality. While highlighting the fundamental differences of opinion on the best way to proceed with respect to the Fifteenth Amendment and analyzing these separate arguments, I maintain that both sides (e.g., the American Woman Suffrage Association/Douglass vs. the National Woman Suffrage Association/Stanton/Anthony) were driven by a shared commitment to challenging oppression and advancing the rights of marginalized communities. They recognized Reconstruction brought forth a newfound sense of urgency—an opportune moment they strove to embrace. At the same time, the project also identifies the tensions and disagreements these speakers faced on questions of race and gender. The final chapter and conclusion of this project offer Frances E.W. Harper's rhetoric of coalition-building as a counterpoint to the racial prejudices stoked by Stanton and Anthony. Harper's distinct position represented a path many former abolitionists refused to consider and a model for future movements similarly torn over how to proceed in the face of diverging priorities.
