Summary: The Slave States During The Antebellum Period

During the antebellum period growing tensions between slave states and free states began to erupt. Efforts of the north to abolish slavery collided with efforts of southern slave holding states to expand slavery. Not only was the south’s economy heavily influenced by slavery, but also seen as a right stated in the constitution, the right to own property. These two notions will divide the Union and lead the southerners to try and secede from the north. Although it can be argued otherwise, slavery was the main cause leading to one of the bloodiest wars in American history. Since the beginning of the thirteen colonies existence the south has always been the agricultural leader of the United States. After the colonies initialized slavery it was accepted very fast and very strong, especially in regions involved in agriculture. The slaves almost single handedly drove the cotton and tobacco industry, which generated almost all of the wealth in the south. When the political ideals of the north began suggesting canceling expansion of slavery and abolishing it all together, the south became outraged, and it is easy to see why. Without slaves the south would never have been able to supply the global demand for cotton, an industry that the south desperately needed to continue functioning. This is disputably the most …show more content…
The north believed that the federal government had authority over states, supported by Chief Justice John Marshall and president Andrew Jackson. The state righter’s thought that the final say should come down to the states interpretation of the constitution. This is the southern claimed reason for secession rather than just simply the issue of having slaves or not. The south believed the north was violating the constitution. The southern states realized it was a minority against the economic powerhouse the north had created and empowered the idea of secession from the