The Effects Of Slavery On American South And Its Entire Population Essay

As we already noted – in the 1800s expediency of slavery was disputed. While industrial North almost abandoned bondage, by the early 19th century, slavery was almost exclusively confined to the South, home to more than 90 percent of American blacks (Barney W., p. 61). Agrarian South needed free labor force in order to stimulate economic growth. In particular, whites exploited blacks in textile production. This conditioned the differences in economic and social development of the North and South, and opposing viewpoints on the social structure. “Northerners now saw slavery as a barbaric relic from the past, a barrier to secular and Christian progress that contradicted the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and degraded the free-labor aspirations of Northern society” (Barney W., p. 63).

Slavery was like an addiction that the south could not break. Although it provided economic benefits to both the north and the south, the addiction or “curse” bound the people to the downfalls of slavery as well. Slavery created an oligarchy of which a small aristocracy of slave-owners would dominate political, economic, and social affairs of both blacks and whites. The institutions negative impact on the South, and even the entire nation would eventually lead to a great tragedy: the civil war.

During early 19th century, the entrenchment of Southern slavery, there was discussion between planters who benefitted from it and abolitionists who fought against it. Most Americans, especially those in Southern states, understood that slavery system could not help parting from their economic and social system. Southern slavery system brought big economical benefits. However, it negatively influenced American society as a whole rather that positively.

Slaves were an economic positive but a social negative in history. They helped the economics of the country thrive and grow, but it was also a insult of a race. Africans also had a history that they should have been proud to have. Instead, they were denied their heritage and were made to be ashamed of the people that they were. The development of slavery was the white slave owners ' way to maintain control of the growing population of Africans, socially and industrially. If the slaves were confined to the fields of the plantations for supervision, the whites would remain dominant race and maintain their theory of "white supremacy." It also freed the slave owners from the worries of labor

Between the time period of 1840 and 1860, slavery played an influential and pivotal role in the development of a new southern lifestyle. In the struggle for dominance in America, slavery was the South’s stronghold and the underlying cause in much of their motives for many of the economic instigations along with the affirmative political actions. By dominating the everyday southerner’s life, slavery also dominated the economic and political aspects of life during the height of the slavery period. By the 1840’s the Southern economy had become almost entirely slave and and agriculturally dependent. Without the dependence of slaves in the south, a person was to remain landless, poverty stricken or struggling to sustain life through the means

Slavery shaped the values of the antebellum south in many ways. From agriculture and economy, to social stratification and the establishment of societal roles, slavery played an essential part in developing the south as well as dividing it from the north.

In the mid 19th century, the United States of America was experiencing an era of growth. The only problem was the North and South had an economical difference. The North established manufacturing and industry. While the South’s economy was based on large-scaled farming, which relied on the labor of African American slaves to grow and harvest certain crops. Tobacco and cotton were the main crops that was grown. After the abolishment of the slaves in the North, the South felt like they were going to have to remove the slaves also. They feared this because the people of the South knew that the economy was going to fall tremendously. The abolishment of the slaves had spread westward and this is when the South became concerned even more.

This was the period of post-slavery, early twentieth century, in southern United States where blacks were still treated by whites inhumanly and cruelly, even after the abolition laws of slavery of 1863. They were still named as ‘color’. Nothing much changed in African-American’s lives, though the laws of abolition of slavery were made, because now the slavery system became a way of life. The system was accepted as destiny. So the whites also got license to take disadvantages and started exploiting them sexually, racially, physically, and economically. During slavery, they were sold in the slave markets to different owners of plantation and were bound to be separated from each other. Thus they lost their nation, their dignity, and were dehumanized and exploited by whites.

During the early 19th century, especially before the American Revolution and after the War of 1812, American society has changed greatly. The North and the South followed different paths, gradually developing into two distinct and very different regions. And in the 1800s, the disparities between the two regions because of the difference in economic, social and political structure, continued to widen leading up to the Civil War that raged across the nation from 1861 to 1865 which concluded the decades of diverse ideas and culture between the two regions. The South’s economic were known vastly for its agriculture and farming. Its fertile soil and warm climate were ideal for large-scale farms and crops like tobacco and cotton.

So many people wanted slaves, especially in the South. They had more farms than they could handle on their own. Northern owners wanted them because they would have to do less work. Very few owners treated their slaves nicely and paid them to do work around the house. They would not be treated like family but would get treated a whole lot better than your “typical slave.” Those kinds of circumstances occurred more in the Northern states than the Southern states.

The economic change had the most impact on the Southern life because the Southerners had nobody to work on their farm for them. It was such an impact because the slaves were the field hands. Some were skilled and some were unskilled, they usually did outdoor chores like farming and blacksmithing, in all kinds of weather.

A major factor in the South’s economic rise was the expansion of slavery. During the first half of the 19th century, America began to acquire new territory. In “The River of Dark Dreams” by Walter Johnson, Johnson explains that with these new states, arguments about whether slavery should continue or be abolished altogether became more and more contentious. Given the Southern economy’s dependence on slave-produced cotton, Southern states vehemently pushed for slavery in the new states so the cotton industry could continue and expand. With this expansion, however, came a newer, harsher form of slavery— one that thrived

Slavery, was an institution strongly integrated into American society. This economic system was primarily used in the Southern states of the United State on the plantation areas where tobacco, rice, corn, and eventually cotton were grown. Inspirations of freedom and liberty spread throughout the United States prior to the American Revolution. Along with thoughts of liberty came thoughts of emancipation of this system. “Even after the prolonged battle for independence, when cries for liberty rang throughout the countryside, opportunities for both emancipation and free blacks diminished.” Slavery stilled had a strong hold of the foundations of the southern economy. The “peculiar system” continued to grow rapidly, especially at the beginning of the nineteenth century, within the United States. Slavery, was an injustice to both male and female slaves however, women would endure more physical and emotional injustices than men by the means of themselves and their children.

The goal of the civil war was never originally to free slaves but slaves became a large part of the war. African American slaves overcame many challenges to finally receive their freedom. Many African Americans endured the chance to fight for the union and that immensely increased the man power of the union.

Slavery and its Impact on The American Civil War The American Civil War was a war that tore the United States apart, in an attempt to put it back together. It was monumental, a country is torn in two, more casualties than in any other war the US has fought in, and it changed Americans culture. What could be the reason for a country that preaches freedom and prides patriotism to turn on itself like this? There are many different opinions, but it all leads back to the beginning, what the country is built on slavery.