The End of Northern Slavery
The notion that slavery in the North faded away strictly because of moral dilemma does not begin to explain the complex reasons for the emancipation of slaves in the North. Slaves were emancipated for a variety of reasons. These included cultural reasons, such as religious opposition and fear of labor competition; economic reasons, including the convenience of slavery and the slave trade; and the issues that arose from the Revolutionary War. The eventual end to slavery in the North was due to a variety of factors aside from the rectitude of slavery.