Slave resistance in the 18th century had a huge impact on the abolition of slavery. Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence written in 1776, once wrote this famous phrase that “all men are created equal.” In America, the equality of humanity has long been desired, sought by slaves and abolitionists since the first African slaves were brought by ship to the colony of Virginia in 1619. Many thought that slavery should not exist, that should be allowed, and that they wanted it abolished. Resistance was shown in many ways that we would all naturally think of, such as rebellion, faking an illness, or working at a slow pace, to name a few. Some significant people such as the Quakers and Olaudah Equiano, as well as significant rebellions such as the Stono Rebellion in 1739 and Gabriel's Rebellion in 1800, all had a substantial impact on the success of the abolition of slavery. The beginning of abolition and resistance to slavery came during a period of growing awareness of moral issues, such as freedom and equality, this period is called the Enlightenment. Another compelling reason for slave resistance was increased public awareness of the horrors of slavery, such as the terrible conditions Africans had experienced on slave ships. Early opposition to slavery began with religious figures or groups and courageous individuals. One of the first religious groups to oppose slavery were the Quakers, in the late 1600s (Bailey, p.147). They felt strongly that their morals could not allow them to support or agree with this type of trade. They immediately began discussing the slave trade using religious writings as arguments as to why they felt this way. Unfortunately…half of paper…they are profiting from their slaves, who had a lot to lose from the abolition of slavery. While the antislavery movement may not have been “perfectly virtuous” as some older historians have claimed, most, if not all, abolitionists were driven by moral concerns. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that moral, political, economic, and religious reasons all played a role in the abolition of slavery, but that it was the persistence of those with moral conviction that ended slavery. Grate Number of Blackes" to Thomas Gage, 25 May 1774Bailey, Richard. "The Christological Writings of Maurice Creasey: A Reply," Quaker Religious Thought 120.1 (2013). Olaudah, Equiano. The interesting account of the life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Yassa, written by himself. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995.