cause whites could kill them.
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Whites may have feared black slaves due to the perceived threat of rebellion or uprising, as well as fears of loss of control and power. Whites also may have viewed black slaves as different or inferior, leading to feelings of superiority and the need to maintain dominance through fear.
Carolina's economy was built on large-scale agriculture, such as rice and indigo production, which required extensive labor. Aristocratic whites used enslaved Africans to cultivate and harvest crops, leading to Carolina's reliance on black slaves as a source of cheap labor. Additionally, the presence of slave labor allowed aristocratic whites to maintain their social and economic status through the profitability of their plantations.
Slave owners feared poor whites because they were seen as competition for labor resources. Poor whites could potentially undermine the hierarchical structure of society by forming alliances with slaves to challenge the institution of slavery. Additionally, poor whites posed a threat to the economic interests of slave owners by demanding higher wages or better working conditions.
Around 75% of southern whites owned fewer than five slaves. The majority of white southerners owned no slaves at all, as slaves were primarily held by a small percentage of wealthy plantation owners.
Poor whites often saw slaves as competition for jobs and viewed them as undermining their economic prospects. This sometimes led to animosity between the two groups, as poor whites felt threatened by the availability of cheap labor provided by slaves. Additionally, the racial hierarchy of the time often made poor whites feel superior to slaves, despite their shared economic struggles.
Slaves were owned as property, had no rights, and were subjected to brutal living and working conditions. Poor whites, while still disadvantaged, had the potential to earn wages and had some basic legal rights as free individuals. Additionally, poor whites were not subject to the same level of dehumanization and exploitation that enslaved individuals experienced.