"Abolitionist" is a term used to describe individuals or groups who advocated for the abolition or elimination of the institution of [[slavery]]. The abolitionist movement was primarily active during the 18th and 19th centuries, with a focus on ending the Atlantic slave trade and the practice of slavery in the United States and other countries. Abolitionists held diverse beliefs and employed a variety of strategies to achieve their goals. Some advocated for gradual emancipation, wherein enslaved people would be freed over a period of time, while others called for immediate emancipation, demanding the immediate and complete end of slavery. The methods used by abolitionists ranged from peaceful protests and moral persuasion to direct action and, in some cases, violence. Key factors that influenced the development of the abolitionist movement include: 1. **Enlightenment ideas**: Many abolitionists were influenced by [[The Enlightenment]] ideals of individual rights, liberty, and equality. These ideas challenged the idea that one human being could legitimately own another. 2. **Religious beliefs**: Some abolitionists, particularly in the United States and Britain, were motivated by religious convictions, seeing slavery as a sin and a violation of Christian principles. 3. **Humanitarian concerns**: Abolitionists were often moved by the terrible conditions experienced by enslaved people, as well as by the cruelty and brutality that accompanied the institution of slavery. 4. **Political and economic factors**: In some cases, the desire to weaken the political and economic power of slaveholding regions contributed to the abolitionist cause. The abolitionist movement achieved several significant milestones, including the passage of the British Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, which abolished slavery throughout the British Empire, and the eventual end of the Atlantic slave trade. In the United States, the movement played a key role in creating the political climate that led to the American [[Civil War]], the [[Emancipation Proclamation]], and the subsequent passage of the [[13th Amendment]] in 1865, which abolished slavery in the country. Notable abolitionist figures include William Wilberforce, [[Harriet Tubman]], [[Frederick Douglass]], Harriet Beecher Stowe, [[John Brown]], and [[Sojourner Truth]], among many others. Their efforts and sacrifices contributed to the eventual dismantling of the institution of [[slavery]] and the advancement of [[civil rights]] for all -- though a complicated further history of race relations in America would continue on until this day.