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Slavery in the south can be traced way back to an event in the summer of 1675 called Bacon's Rebellion. Nathanial Bacon was a well-to-do 28-year-old man who immigrated to the Virgina colony in the 1670's. Because of his wealth and social status, he quickly elevated himself to a position in Governor Berkeley's council. When Berkeley refused to give a military commission to Bacon (probably detecting how cunning and dangerous he was), Bacon took advantage of the complaints of many of the poor. The lower class at the time was impoverished due to a system of indentured servitude in return for passage to the new world. As part of the agreement, they were supposed to get a ten-acre piece of land. Most were cheated out of this by the wealthy who paid for their voyage. This created lots of resentment between the lower and upper classes. The last straw was when Berkeley forbade the stealing of Native American land. The wealthy liked the Indians at the time because they made a lucrative business out of trading Indian-caught furs for European novelties. Soon after this legislation was issued, Bacon rallied together the lower class and led a massacre of the peaceful Doeg tribe and the destruction of Jamestown. Bacon temporarily grabbed control of the colony until he suddenly died of dysentery and it was subsequently retaken by Berkeley. This rebellion was a big shock to the upper class, and, out of nervousness, the House of Burgesses allowed the poor to move into Native American territory. After this event, the uneasy wealthy ended indentured servitude and started rapidly importing black slaves to replace the workers they released. Slavery was then started in order to appease the lower-class whites. Slavery kept on growing in the south and it was eventually irreplaceable and far too engraved into the economy to take back easily. Another main component in the development of slavery in the south was the fact that the first British colony there- Jamestown- was settled by men who wanted to get rich quick, and growing tobacco and cotton in vast numbers seemed the way to do it. Because of the huge amounts of land acquired by the wealthy by stealing from indentured servants, they needed more and more labor to manage it.
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ProfessorSlavery was seen as necessary in the South to support the economic system of large-scale agricultural plantations, particularly for crops like cotton, tobacco, and sugar. Enslaved laborers provided a cheap and abundant source of workforce for plantation owners, which helped them maximize profits and compete in the global market.
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What was one of the arguments used by southern slaveholder to justify the institution of slavery?
it was critical for the south's agricultural economy.
Do South Carolina support slavery?
Slavery was legally supported in South Carolina prior to the Civil War, as it was in many southern states. However, slavery was abolished in the United States with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865. Today, South Carolina, like the rest of the United States, does not support slavery.
Why did Texans feel that slavery was needed in the south?
Many Texans believed that slavery was essential for the economic prosperity of the South, particularly in agriculture. They believed that without the labor that enslaved people provided, the large plantations and farms in the region would not be able to function effectively or compete with other regions. Additionally, there were deep-seated racial prejudices that also fueled the belief in the superiority of the white race and the necessity of slavery.
Why was slavery needed?
Slavery was not a necessity; rather, it was perpetuated for economic gain and the desire for power and control over others. It was used to exploit labor and generate wealth for slave owners, but it was not a justified or humane practice.
How did the south feel toward the practice of slavery?
Many in the South supported and benefited from the practice of slavery, viewing it as essential to their economic system and way of life. They believed in the racial superiority of white people and saw slavery as a legitimate institution. However, opinions on slavery varied among individuals and were not universal throughout the region.
