What Was the Abolitionist Movement?

What was the Abolitionist Movement? And why do your kids need to know about this important movement in Christian history?

Image: The Official Medallion of the British Anti-Slavery Society, 1795, Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) and either William Hackwood or Henry Webber, Public Domain

Have you ever wondered what an abolitionist is? Or, have you wondered why the Abolitionist Movement is important for your children to learn about?

Perhaps the fight to end slavery is really important to you. For many parents, though, it may seem like an obscure event that happened a long time ago. If we are serious about teaching history to our kids, that needs to change.

The Abolitionist Movement affected nearly everyone on the planet. Really. Just because the fight for abolition is not taught in schools, and the fact that the movement was largely carried by Christians is certainly not taught, doesn’t mean it’s not important. We’ve skipped teaching our kids about Abolition for too long.

From 1688 to 1888 AD, Christians joined together and fought to end the institution of chattel slavery and the slave trade across the world. We call them abolitionists because the word abolish means to end. Abolitionists fought to end slavery for all people.

Why use the distinction between slavery and the slave trade? It’s because slavery was abolished incrementally. Abolitionists fought for two hundred years to free all people in all places. Every single step forward was hard won. And, while abolitionists accepted gradual improvements to the laws, they continued to fight. Some abolitionists spent their whole lives fighting to end chattel slavery, yet saw only the end of the slave trade. In many places, like America, the children of slaves were bought and sold on auction blocks long after the Trans-Atlantic slave trade was outlawed.

Christian abolitionists were not confined to a particular church, country, or demographic. Rather, God’s people worked together to end slavery. Abolitionists were black and white, rich and poor, enslaved and free, highly educated and illiterate. The one thing Christian abolitionists had in common was their commitment to the Greatest Commandment, which we read about in Matthew 22:34-40, ESV:

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Christian abolitionists took the command to love God and to love their neighbors seriously.

The Who What Why series is the perfect way to teach your kids, ages 7-11, about the history of our faith!

Why Kids Need to Know about the Abolition Movement

Did you know that at the beginning of Abolition, 19 out of every 20 people across the globe were enslaved?

Think. About. That.

Do you love history? Do you watch historic movies and shows? How many of the bits of history we love show the reality that 95% of the world’s population was enslaved in the late 1600s?

If you were living during that time period, it would be a nearly impossible reality to ignore, wouldn’t it? I say nearly, because some nations in Western Europe worked hard to hide the ugly truth about slavery. Even so, people knew what was happening at the docks, on ships, and across the ocean from them.

Our children benefit from understanding what the Bible actually says about slavery, when examined as biblical doctrine. They also benefit from learning about the lives of Christians who loved others, even to the point of suffering themselves.

Christian abolitionists showed their love for God and neighbor by:

Writing arguments against slavery based on Scripture.
Petitioning governments to end the slave trade. Some abolitionists served in government with the express purpose of fighting for the freedom of others.
Telling stories of how they themselves were protected and freed from slavery by God.
Bringing lawsuits to emancipate enslaved people.
Funding the work of abolition through giving and fundraising.
Committing civil disobedience in order to protect and free humans.
Some abolitionists even fought for the freedom of others.

By the end of the Abolitionist Movement, 99 out of every 1oo people across the world were free. That is a massive historic event.

Our children not only need to know about the Abolitionist Movement, they also need to understand who the abolitionists were, and why their love for God guided their actions.

Who Were the Abolitionists? tells the story of ten men and women who loved God and loved their neighbors, dedicating their lives to freeing slaves from chains.

Who What Why Series | Christian Biographies for Kids

The Who What Why series is fun to read!

Abolitionist Biography for Kids

Your kids can learn about the lives of the abolitionists, the historical times they lived in, and their work in ending chattel slavery.

In a fun and engaging tone, the Christian biography Who Were the Abolitionists? will take your kids through the lives of ten prominent abolitionists.

Who Were the Abolitionists? chapters:

Introduction: For Such a Time as This
Chapter One: Granville Sharp (1735-1813)
Chapter Two: Phillis Wheatley (c. 1745-1797)
Chapter Three: Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745-1797)
Chapter Four: Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846)
Chapter Five: William Wilberforce (1759-1833)
Chapter Six: Zachary Macaulay (1768-1838)
Chapter Seven: William Knibb (1803-1845)
Chapter Eight: Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)
Chapter Nine: Frederick Douglass (c. 1817-1895)
Chapter Ten: Harriet Tubman (c. 1820-1913)
Timeline

Purchase Who Were the Abolitionists?

Who What Why | Abolition | Free Printable Lapbooks

Learn more about the Who What Why series and get your FREE Abolition Lapbooks here.

Bible Resources for Your Kids

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Christian Biographies for Kids | Christian History for Kids | Theology for Kids

“As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” – Psalm 16:3, ESV

Christian History Matters for Our Kids.

History matters. Now, more than ever, we see how important it is for our children to know and understand history and the Bible.

Here’s why:

God is the sovereign ruler of all things. It’s important for our kids to see his hand in the history of nations and in the lives of both peasants and kings.
Christian history is the story of our family history. Our kids get to see how people who love Jesus follow him.
Understanding history can help our kids learn historic and biblical theology. They learn what the Bible says and what that means for us. They also see when the study of Scripture has taken important turns that have changed the Church.
Reading Christian biographies and history can be a wonderful way for kids to think outside their own time and culture. God’s Church spans centuries and includes people from every nation.
Christian biographies help kids consider their own faith, walk with Jesus, and the impact their witness may one day have on others–and on history.

Elementary-aged kids need middle grade resources that are fun, a little sassy, and that teach valuable lessons.

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The Who What Why Series is the perfect resource to teach your kids about history, while helping them apply biblical truths to their lives today.

Your kids will love the Who What Why Reformation series with illustrated narratives for 8-11 year olds. And, Martin Luther’s young adult historical fiction story makes the perfect family read aloud!
Grab the autographed Reformation Family Bundle!

What Was the Abolitionist Movement? | And Why Did it Matter?