What was Delawares stance on Slavery and Abolition?
Delaware was a state divided on the issue of slavery. By 1810, 13.5% of the total population of the state consisted of free blacks, higher than free states such as New York or New Jersey. Delaware slave owners felt a good deal of pressure to free their slaves. In 1860, even though there were over 20,000 free blacks and only 1,798 slaves in the state, Delawareans were not yet willing to give full rights to these citizens. Even so, abolitionists still felt strongly about freeing slaves and allowing them to lead productive lives. Delaware almost passed a law for abolition in 1847, but it was vetoed by the Senate. While a few Delawareans were afraid of the free blacks and wanted to create a colonization project in Liberia, abolitionists fought the movement. By the time of the Civil War, it was obvious that Delaware was divided about slavery, but loyal to the Union. Delaware became one of the border states between the Confederacy and the Union, and many soldiers from Delaware fought in the
