Final answer:
Fears of freeing slaves in America stemmed from concerns of economic instability, social upheaval, and racial superiority beliefs held by figures like Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Johnson. Such fears were intertwined with worries that emancipation would lead to violence, loss of control, and disruption of the societal fabric. These apprehensions contributed to the complex landscape of resistance to abolition and civil equality for African Americans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The fear surrounding the freeing of slaves in America was multifaceted and rooted in several deep-seated concerns among those who hesitated to abolish the practice. Notably, figures like Thomas Jefferson and President Andrew Johnson embodied this apprehension. Jefferson well understood that slavery violated the natural rights of Africans and African Americans, but he foresaw risks such as a violent race war and believed in the pseudo-scientific racist ideas of the time, which suggested that Africans were intellectually inferior and thus unsuitable to be citizens. Johnson, who was a slave owner himself and believed in white supremacy, juxtaposed his fight against 'treacherous aristocrats' with a blunt rejection of black suffrage and civil equality.
These fears extended further than individual beliefs and into the Southern way of life, with many worried that without slavery, their economic stability, social order, and safety would be profoundly threatened, citing the potential for violence and lack of control over a massive, newly freed population. Additionally, some feared that emancipation would invite personal inconvenience and change to a system that many had condoned, justified, and profited from for years.
The freeing of slavery was also seen as a military and diplomatic strategy during the Civil War, as Lincoln recognized the impact that emancipation would have on the Southern war effort and international perceptions of the conflict. However, the root concern for many still lay in the potential disruption to their societal fabric and the ominous prospects of integrating freed slaves into American life as equals.