Evolution of Slavery in The South: A Necessary Evil to a Moral Blessing
by Southerners started to feel slavery was a moral, social, and even political blessing to both the slave and its master.
Southerners were mainly for slavery and many southerners believed that slavery was an evil, but it was necessary. However this belief had changed after 1830, the southerners started to feel it was a moral, social, and even political blessing to both the slave and its master. Most of these changes in opinion towards the slaves were greatly due to the knew economic advantages slaves could provide. Another reason would be the Southerners felt they were doing something good for humankind by having slavery and finally it offered Southerners more political power. The southerners had to be defensive about slavery because there was a lot of abolitionist opposition rising at the time.
Slavery was overall very beneficial for Southerners. After 1830 cotton was booming and it became extremely profitable for a southerner to have a slave. Another beneficial aspect of slavery would be it gave Southerners more power politically. Slaves counted as 3/5 of a person when determining the number of representatives going to the House of Representatives. This meant it gave Southern states more electoral votes, meaning slavery provided economic wealth and political power to the slave owner.
Furthermore, Southerners believed they were doing good to humankind. They believed they were civilizing “African savages” and that they were being very reasonable to the slave too. Thus, the slave had it better in bondage then it did in Africa, they felt they were being reasonable to slaves because they protected their slaves, and kept them in better conditions then the lower classes in Britain and the North were living in. Additionally they believed, it eliminated the class conflicts and ultimately gave equality to all free citizens. Moreover, it was the foundation for upper class people and helped increase civilized activities such as literature, hospitality and public service. Conclusively, the changes towards the view of slavery were due to the fact they were more beneficial to the Southerners and because of the growing abolitionist opposition.
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Post Commentbaahhhh
On February 1, 2010 at 2:57 am
the reason why their opinion changed is becuase of the methodist church meetings that took place in the 1830’s persuaded them that it was moral. the success of the south had nothing to do with wether the slave owners thought slavery was moral. u fool.
Alice
On November 21, 2011 at 2:24 am
It is amusing to me to constantly hear the justification and occasional defending of this evil institution of chattel slavery that was forced upon my people, here, for multiple hundreds of years…. The greatest Crime the world has ever witnessed….
Few White people can comprehend being kidnapped, transported 9,000 miles and then forced into a barbaric system, and SURVIVING the untold atrocities that occured from 1555 thru the 20th century ( lynchings, jim crow, etc.). It is comical to read this, and weep at other”misfortunes”.
Perhaps we should have asked an 11 year old Black Girl who probably was raped & impregnated by a white “Massa”, after watching her father castrated & hung what real problems were… The slaveholders were an evil people. This is full of bull S