By the 19th century, the immigration influx had given rise to New York City’s incredible platform as a mecca for opportunity, diversity and prosperity. The numerous waves of immigrants proved the glimmer and hope New York City represented in the eyes of the many trodden and helpless. As Frederick Douglass recounted, “I was walking amid the hurrying throng and gazing upon the dazzling wonders of Broadway. The dreams of any childhood and the purposes of my manhood were now fulfilled” (Jaffe 74). Simple walking among the streets of New York City was a spectacle many wished to give their lives for and the supposed “opportunities” justified every morsel of the particular aspiration. However, hidden behind the glamor and hurrying throngs of people lied the dark truth. It distorted the reality of extreme poverty, disease-ridden tenements and most of all, it marred the existence of racism and proslavery attitude.
Although slaves in New York were freed as of 1827, the proslavery sentiment resided in the minds of many people. It can be accepted without argument that many immigrants faced extreme hardships on their way to assimilating within the American society. While the Irish and the Germans clamored over each other, they banded together over the idea of slavery. Fearing that the African Americans might steal their jobs, many white New Yorkers, especially the Irish, help hostile intentions towards the African Americans. Many African Americans were barred from restaurants, steamboats and hotels owned by white New Yorkers. The social inequality extended towards the political environment as well. As Jaffe states, “New York State’s 1821 Constitution required black men to own at least $250 in property in order to vote, and very few black New Yorkers had enough money to qualify” (75). This supposed requirement served as a systemic restriction upon the African Americans in order to impede their freedom and social mobility. While many white New Yorkers held pro slavery views, some believed themselves to be advocates of anti slavery. However, their solution to ending slavery meant to root African Americans from their homes and to deport them to Africa. The systemic racism pierced the lives of every person of color. The toxicity had rooted itself so deep that many officials had started to fund “kidnapping clubs”. This depraved society served to capture free or runaway slaves in order to sell them back into slavery, in the deep south. According to Jaffe, William Wells Brown, a black abolitionist called New York “the pro-slavery, negro-hating city…” (77).
In order to combat slavery and diminish the grip of racism and pro slavery sentiment across New York, many abolitionists took charge. According to “Practical Abolitionists: David Ruggles and the New York Committee of Vigilance,” David Ruggles “was a key member in a circle of activists based in the city’s black church congregations and in black self-help organizations…” (77). Ruggles was on the main abolitionists who set the basis for future anti-slavery movements. He gave rise to the Committee of Vigilance which became the name for manhattan’s black and white anti-slavery activists. One of the biggest feast of the committee had been the thwarting of “slave-catchers”. With the help of many black and white abolitionists, Ruggles managed to hire lawyers and guards who successfully rescued around 522 individuals from the ever-present shackles of slavery. Despite Ruggles’ constant efforts to free slaves, New York’s Democrats stood rigid in their anti-slavery views as they voted against Lincoln and his views of abolishing slavery. Tensions between blacks and whites rose to the brink as the Civil War came about. While the government allowed men to pay a fee of $300 for draft exemption, many poor immigrants took to the streets, enraged at the hand of their poverty and in turn blamed the blacks for their predicament. This gave rise to the Draft Riots of 1863 when many “white working white men and women, many of them Irish immigrants, rampaged through Manhattan’s streets, fighting with police, attacking abolitionists and Republicans, and lynching African Americans” (Jaffe, 86). The aftermath of such a violent crisis dwindled the population of African Americans in Manhattan. However, abolitionists were not deterred by this show of violence as many societies rose up across many states in order to assist African Americans in achieving their freedom.
One of the major forces behind the rise of anti-slavery sentiment was the assistance of many white abolitionists. As Nicolas Lampert writes, “American abolitionists also had their allies, especially in the British movement” (23). With the formation of Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade (SEAST) in the UK, the anti-slavery propaganda began to spread awareness of the horrendous atrocities committed against the African Americans. Most notably, an image of the slave ship spread like wildfire across UK which resulted in The Slave Trade Act of 1807, banning of African slaves in the British colonies, and their transport to the United States. The anti-slavery sentiment eventually spread across the Atlantic, giving rise to the first iterations of political art. For example, in 1835, several abolitionist groups launched the “great postal campaign,”a mailing service which spread antislavery papers and pamphlets to every town in the country. This became one of the numerous ways in which abolitionists such as Ruggles were able to work towards the end of slavery.
Even to this day, our society is marred by anti-immigrant and racist ideologies. We as Americans boast of the numerous hurdles the country has overcome along with mind-boggling technological advancements, yet we refuse to rid ourselves of the racist sentiments. We continue to harp upon the protection of our country from outsiders, yet we fail to protect those who rise within its unjust and biased confines. We may have accomplished great things as a country however, it means nothing if we still view a citizen of darker complexion with contempt and hostility.
