Civil War Slavery

Throughout American history the most horrific action was argued against and sought as a positive activity. Before the Civil War, there were many debates on the topic of slavery. As Northern abolitionist attacked slavery and an unjust event, white Southerners had to defend the attacks made on slavery from the North. The North’s economy was set up through industrial work, employed by many immigrant workers who were paid less than the average worker. While the South’s economy was based through agriculture work, employed by African American slaves. Southerners placed a high value on agricultural labor. Slavery was primarily a labor system intended to produce wealth for landowners. The profits produced by slavery for the South and the nation as …show more content…
According to Gary B. Nash, “The American People” textbook, “George Fitzhugh, a leading advocate of this view, argued, “the Negro is but a grown child and must be governed as a child,” and so needed the paternal guidance, restraint, and protection of a white master.” (273). Many white southerners believed enslavement was the natural and proper status for people of African descent. Stephen Currie’s book “Slavery” writes, “Moreover, nature has made Africans obvious candidates for slavehood. Blacks cannot govern themselves without the steadying hand of the civilized slave owner” McDuffie inputs that “[Africans] have all the qualities that fit them for slaves” (30). In Robert A. Divine textbook, slavery arguments changed frequently. “Before the 1830s, open discussion of the rights or wrong of slavery had been possible in many parts of the South. Apologists commonly described the institution as a “necessary evil.” The argument that slavery was a “positive good” rather than an evil slated for gradual elimination, won the day. The “positive good” defense of slavery was an answer to the abolitionist charge that the institution was inherently sinful” (260). Slave owners attempted to argue that slaves were living the luxury life because they were taken cared of and is being educated by their owners. In the excerpt “Moral Debates on Slavery” according to U.S History in Context, “Stephen …show more content…
The Bible was used against slavery and used to protect slavery. As abolitionists tried to attack slavery with The Bible, white southerners used the same source to protect slavery.In the excerpt “Aboltionists proposed a brotherhood of humakind wherein, as Jesus had taught, each person would treat another person as he wished to be treated by any and every other person.The abolitionists’ assumption was that no one would want to be treated as a slave but would want to be a liberated person living in freedom” (2). Abolitionists wanted everyone to be treated equally no matter what race or color. In the “American People” textbook by Gary B. Nash, the biblical justification states, “Biblical justification-was based on the son of Ham, one of Noah 's children, and in the Old and New Testament admonitions to servants to obey their masters” (273). Southerners believed since the Bible says it’s ok for servants to obey their masters then God must think slavery is not wrong nor bad. In Currie’s book “Slavery”, “According to the Old Testament, for example, the ancient Israelites held and sold slaves. At no point in the Bible does God condemn this activity. Indeed, in several passages, God is seen to encourage the Hebrews to enslave non-Jews. In Leviticus 25: 44-46, for instance, God goes further, ordaining slavery as a proper and just system. Nor does the New Testament override this view. Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus