During the 1820s and 1830s, individuals and groups came forward with the revolutionary idea of equality for black men and women. This created a divide in the nation. In 1829, David Walker gave his opinion about slavery. He proposed a rebellion for the South and stated that God was in favor of the slave's rebellion. Walker advocated violent action, the rebellion of slaves, and the killing of masters (MHL Walker p. 232). At the beginning of the 1830s newspapers such as The Liberator and societies like the American Anti-Slavery emerged, all with the purpose of immediate emancipation of all slaves (Jones et al. Ch. 12, p. 301). Many abolitionist activities started to occur and this worried the southern slave owners and anti-abolitionists. In Washington D.C, the House of Representatives imposed a gag rule on antislavery petitions, forbidding them to be read aloud or entered in public record (Jones et al. Ch. 12, p. 302). Many anti-abolitionists spoke out about slavery. One of these people was Senator John Calhoun. He saw slavery as a positive good and states that slavery "forms the most solid and durable foundation on which to build free and stable political institutions" (MHL Calhoun p. 235). The time period of the1830s is characterized by the debate of slavery and abolitionists could claim some victories. In 1839 the Amistad case forever changed the history of slavery in the United States serving as a key factor in the escalation to the Civil War. .
In 1839, Spanish slave traders attempted to transport 53 illegally purchased Africans to Havana, Cuba and during this journey one of the Africans, Cinque, killed his captors and took over the ship (Jones et al. Ch. 12, p. 303). The United States authorities later captured the ship and the Africans faced a trial of murder. Spain pressed the United States to return the slaves to its owners, Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montez, because the United States did not have any jurisdiction over Spanish subjects.
