Final answer:
Arguments for the abolition of slavery include economic perspectives from the Northern states, which thrived without the institution, and humanitarian arguments rooted in the moral incompatibility of slavery with American principles of liberty and equality.
Step-by-step explanation:
To support arguments in favor of the abolition of slavery on economic grounds, one could point to the fact that slavery was centrally tied to the Southern economy, which relied on the production of crops like cotton, rice, and tobacco using the labor of enslaved people. Northern areas, which did not economically benefit from slavery, saw a different kind of economic development not based on forced labor. This contrast highlights an economic rationale for abolition, suggesting that slavery was not necessary for economic prosperity and that a slave-free economy could thrive.
On humanitarian grounds, the moral argument against slavery is strong. It is evident in the views of abolitionists who viewed the institution as incompatible with the fundamental principles of liberty and equality that are central to the American identity. Efforts to justify slavery on economic or paternalistic grounds ignore the inhumane treatment and denial of basic human rights inherent in the practice of owning human beings.
Abolitionists envisioned a nation without slavery, where all individuals, regardless of race, had equal opportunity and rights. The perspectives of those who fought for the end of slavery can be seen as a fulfillment of the true legacy of the American Revolution—a legacy proclaiming freedom and equality for all.