Resistance to slavery took many forms in the United States, especially during the decades after the 1830s. Enslaved people resisted bondage from the start of the Atlantic slave trade. After events like Nat Turner’s rebellion in 1831, resistance grew stronger, and control tightened. As punishments grew tougher and laws tightened, those opposed to slavery changed their tactics. Resistance during this period included the actions of enslaved people themselves as well as the efforts of abolitionists who worked to change public opinion.
Many enslaved people resisted through everyday actions. Some slowed their pace of work, pretended to be sick, or damaged tools to interrupt labor. Others used singing, prayer, and storytelling to build community and maintain a sense of identity. These actions were often quiet. Still, they helped enslaved people take control over parts of their daily lives and resist total domination.
Running away was another powerful form of resistance. Some people escaped alone, while others fled in groups known as stampedes. In 1854, dozens of enslaved people escaped from St. Louis in a single month. Freedom seekers used rivers, forged passes, or hid on boats to reach safer places. Although many were captured and forced back into slavery, others kept trying. These escapes alarmed enslavers, who feared losing labor and control.
Violent resistance also occurred, though it carried an extreme risk. Some enslaved people fought back when punished or tried to protect their families from being sold. Others planned attacks against enslavers. Nat Turner’s 1831 uprising in Virginia, which killed dozens of enslavers, spread fear throughout the South. Rumors of revolts led to stricter laws and more patrols. Authorities kept a closer watch on enslaved communities.
Some enslaved people used the legal system to resist slavery. Through freedom suits, they argued that they had been promised freedom or were being held illegally. These cases were difficult and often depended on white witnesses, but some people did win their freedom. Some gained freedom by buying themselves or through manumission. They became legally free even as slavery persisted around them.
At the same time, abolitionists resisted slavery by trying to change public opinion. They believed slavery could be challenged by exposing its cruelty and appealing to Americans’ moral and religious beliefs. Abolitionists created pamphlets and newspapers. They gave speeches, organized petitions, and shared stories from formerly enslaved people. Frederick Douglass shared his own story to show how slavery went against freedom and equality. Others pointed to the end of slavery in countries like Great Britain and France to argue that the United States was falling behind the world.
Abolitionists often faced violent opposition. Mobs attacked antislavery speakers, destroyed printing presses, and burned meeting spaces. In Congress, rules were passed to block discussion of abolitionist petitions. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 raised tensions. It required that escaped enslaved people be returned, even from free states. These responses showed how much people feared resistance to slavery.
Together, the actions of enslaved people and abolitionists show that resistance did not end after Nat Turner’s rebellion. Instead, it adapted. Resistance challenged slavery in many ways. It happened through daily acts, escape, legal battles, and public persuasion. These efforts revealed the violence and injustice of slavery.