Opinions on Abolitionism for Germans in Missouri

Historian Kristen Layne Anderson comes to the conclusion that Germans were in fact, not as genuine and altruistic about their intentions when it comes to the abolition of slavery. They note that while it is true some groups of radical Germans were very vocal and active in pursuing the abolition of all slaves, as well as the enfranchisement of all black people post-Civil War. This can be seen in one of the articles in the translations of Germans for a Free Missouri. In an article titled “What is the Mission of the German Element in the Present Crisis”, the writer talks about how the duty of the German people is to spread the word against this vile practice, and travel west to make sure all future states oppose it during voting. However, the majority of Germans were much more modest, and some even were vocally opposed, believing that the Germans were just finding their footing and being accepted in the community as a people who belong, and that fighting to end slavery would only cause more disdain thrown their way than before. Anderson also makes clear that the radical Germans, the very vocal minority themselves, did not stick true to their beliefs in the end. After the civil war, once black men were given the right to vote, the former slaves voted in a way that differed immensely from the direction Germans voted. As soon as the extreme abolitionist Germans caught wind that the African American vote was not to their liking, they quickly adopted racist ideas, considering black people less intelligent than the white, and therefore they shouldn’t have as much sway in a vote as a white person.