Sydneyinspace
Banned
Is it possible for the Federalists to run an abolitionist candidate against Jefferson during 1800 or 1804? Maybe some rich Northern big business owner or something?
No, not that early. Abolitionism took a long time to evolve in the USA and remained an ideology that was 1) as bitterly divided amongst itself as modern-day challengers to the status quo and 2) had varying bases of support at different times in the country's history. This is too early and abolitionism in a political sense is still too inchoate.
Is it possible for the Federalists to run an abolitionist candidate against Jefferson during 1800 or 1804? Maybe some rich Northern big business owner or something?
So not even a statesman that stood on his own without running on total abolition? What about a Federalist backed candidate that didn't own slaves and criticized the institution? Maybe called for the end of importing slaves? Of course he wouldn't win but it would be interesting, the federalists were dying after Adams lost and the death of Hamilton, could there be a minor split?
The Quakers had always been against slavery, and they would often write to influential Americans asking them to push for abolition (Washington thought about it several times, but for mostly financial reasons didn't take the plunge).
Given that the British where passing the anti-slavery laws at this time is it not possible for the liberal north to push harder on slavery?
It was the elephant in the room at the establishment of the USA, I am sure that it would only have taken a little nudge for it to be discussed. Of course that will probably mean that the US was split from the start... so prehaps not!