Proslavery Arguments: An Analysis

However, while Irons notes how proslavery arguments changed and evolved, he also notes how African Americans drove many of the changes—both to their benefit, and their detriment. For example, as evangelicals sought to increase their numbers and distinguish themselves from Anglicans, black evangelicals were essential to recruiting slaves and free blacks to join their churches. The Nat Turner Rebellion marked another formative way African Americans influenced proslavery arguments; the rebellion spurred white southerners into instituting stricter observation and regimentation of slave worship, such as banning religious gatherings where there would not be oversight. Still, African American Virginians pushed hard for right to segregated worship by leveraging the power of which church they could choose to join; whites often acquiesced to a degree, largely due to their commitment to the slave mission as well as …show more content…
Succinctly, he argues that “evangelicalism, as practiced by white and black southerners, was simultaneously proslavery and pro-community.” By focusing on the interpersonal aspect of proslavery arguments, Irons succeeds in establishing African Americans as active agents who fought for their religious advantages when and where they were able. However, the downside of Irons’ argument is it can assign a degree of culpability to African Americans for their own enslavement. Furthermore, there is a question of if master/slave relationships can ever be called true relationships; can there be relationship when there is gross imbalance of power and control? The answer seems to be there cannot. It would do well to name that evangelicalism as practiced by white southerners seemed to be pro-community, but only if community is a front for maintaining white