The racial attitudes of most white Americans before 1860 is that they are superior to African Americans in every way. Most white Americans played into racial theories and the idea of white supremacy. Many white Americans, because of the idea of white supremacy, became what would today would be considered racist. They believed many of the racial ideas at the time because of the belief that slaves were subhuman, and their property. Whites thought of themselves as much more civilized and cultured than slaves, since African Americans were savages. While African Americans lazed about and relied on others, white people would rise above and build the civilization that was America. African Americans were considered children who would rely on whites
