Abolitionism
Abolitionism was a movement that sought to end the institution of slavery. It originated with the Enlightenment in EuropeTemplate:Fact-history and eventually spread to other areas, including the United States.
The first abolition organization formed in the United States was the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, originally known as the Society for the “Relief for Free Negroes unlawfully held in Bondage,”, in 1775.[1] Organizations such as these made use of the Underground Railroad, a loosely organized system for secretly transporting southern slaves into the free northern states.
Some modern day anti-abortion activists claim lineage from the abolitionist movement, in that they also fight for persons denied legal rights by unjust laws.[Citation Needed]