Southerners Argue Slavery as a Positive Good Due to the dramatic changes that cotton production had on southern society after the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney, the position of slavery shifted from being something that was a necessary evil that will eventually be phased out to the belief that it was a positive good that should continue, at least in the eyes of Southerners. How did Southerners justify the immoral institution of slavery as a positive good? Those who argue slavery as a positive good rely on religion, history, economics, and social well-being to justify the continued reliance on the institution of slavery. During the Second Great Awakening that occurred shortly after America gained freedom, the increased spread
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They call northerners hypocrites for practically enslaving their own kind (white people) by giving them poor compensation, poorer working conditions, and by not properly taking care of their employees. On the contrary, slaves are content, they do not hope for a different way of living, and are happy (Hammond). The north is further contrasted with the south by saying that cities run rampant with unhappy beggars, while not one is to be found in the south (Hammond). The south concludes that the actions of the North are much more immoral than those of the South, and further criticize northern society by saying that they give their “slaves” the power with which to completely overturn their society, while slaves live content with no means with which to do …show more content…
They use this belief of inferiority to justify enslaving a peoples so that they may become civilized and live a life which is above them. They use this inferiority to deem blacks to have the mentality of a child, elevating masters above the level of just an “owner”, but to that of a father, who must protect these individuals who were not granted the capabilities to take care of themselves by God. The social structure of the North and the fact that the white working class endures terrible working conditions is used to elevate the slave owners over factory owners, as slave owners take care of people who are not of like-mindedness while the north belittles their own kind. The south also believes that slaves are a necessary class of society, and that by enslaving blacks, they are providing a service to the entire nation by allowing progress to
They call northerners hypocrites for practically enslaving their own kind (white people) by giving them poor compensation, poorer working conditions, and by not properly taking care of their employees. On the contrary, slaves are content, they do not hope for a different way of living, and are happy (Hammond). The north is further contrasted with the south by saying that cities run rampant with unhappy beggars, while not one is to be found in the south (Hammond). The south concludes that the actions of the North are much more immoral than those of the South, and further criticize northern society by saying that they give their “slaves” the power with which to completely overturn their society, while slaves live content with no means with which to do …show more content…
They use this belief of inferiority to justify enslaving a peoples so that they may become civilized and live a life which is above them. They use this inferiority to deem blacks to have the mentality of a child, elevating masters above the level of just an “owner”, but to that of a father, who must protect these individuals who were not granted the capabilities to take care of themselves by God. The social structure of the North and the fact that the white working class endures terrible working conditions is used to elevate the slave owners over factory owners, as slave owners take care of people who are not of like-mindedness while the north belittles their own kind. The south also believes that slaves are a necessary class of society, and that by enslaving blacks, they are providing a service to the entire nation by allowing progress to