Question

From 1775 to 1830, many African Americans gained freedom from slavery, yet during the same period the institution of slavery expanded. Explain why BOTH of those changes took place. Analyze the ways that BOTH free African Americans and enslaved African Americans responded to the challenges confronting them.

Answer 1

This major dichotomy existed primarily because it was the choice of individual slave owners to free their slaves, and of the few that did, it was often only one of two slaves, not the entire slave group. Slavery on the whole expanded because the slave trade was not outlawed until before the Civil War.