Does Slavery Make Sense Economically?
Did slavery make sense economically?
Slavery has always been a controversial issue within the United States. Whether one considers its involvement with the Civil War or its obvious racial subjugation, slavery is thought to have been one of the most debilitating elements of American history. Slave labor, which profoundly embedded itself within both Southern and Northern societies, provided a method of economy for those who relied heavily on agriculture, while others were more concerned with industrialization. Its main supporters, Southern plantation owners, had everything invested in this “peculiar institution” and were devastated when it was abolished. Their economy simply revolved around slavery; without it they had nothing. It was an …show more content…
Since the Southern economy relied greatly on slave labor, the majority of money was in the possession of the slave owners.xxvi This was a bad thing. The owners had everything invested in this institution, so commercial and service industries received no economic support.xxvii The railway system was an example of a service industry. Without transportation, trading and travel were rendered impossible. This missing element particularly stunted the South’s development because anyone who was not a wealthy slave owner in the South was sequestered in their respective area and had little opportunity to be exposed to other societies. While the North was industrialized and covered with train tracks, the South relied on an agricultural democracy where the white man always prevailed. This was not only detrimental to the economy, but as historian Jenny Wahl, puts it, “it reinforced racial stereotyping.”xxviii Southerners were essentially forced to believe that blacks were inferior and had a specific place in society, because their economy required them as workers. When an economic model within a region relies on brutal labor of the subordinate class and cannot be changed without altering the beliefs of the people within this region, then it should not be considered a viable economic
Slavery has always been a controversial issue within the United States. Whether one considers its involvement with the Civil War or its obvious racial subjugation, slavery is thought to have been one of the most debilitating elements of American history. Slave labor, which profoundly embedded itself within both Southern and Northern societies, provided a method of economy for those who relied heavily on agriculture, while others were more concerned with industrialization. Its main supporters, Southern plantation owners, had everything invested in this “peculiar institution” and were devastated when it was abolished. Their economy simply revolved around slavery; without it they had nothing. It was an …show more content…
Since the Southern economy relied greatly on slave labor, the majority of money was in the possession of the slave owners.xxvi This was a bad thing. The owners had everything invested in this institution, so commercial and service industries received no economic support.xxvii The railway system was an example of a service industry. Without transportation, trading and travel were rendered impossible. This missing element particularly stunted the South’s development because anyone who was not a wealthy slave owner in the South was sequestered in their respective area and had little opportunity to be exposed to other societies. While the North was industrialized and covered with train tracks, the South relied on an agricultural democracy where the white man always prevailed. This was not only detrimental to the economy, but as historian Jenny Wahl, puts it, “it reinforced racial stereotyping.”xxviii Southerners were essentially forced to believe that blacks were inferior and had a specific place in society, because their economy required them as workers. When an economic model within a region relies on brutal labor of the subordinate class and cannot be changed without altering the beliefs of the people within this region, then it should not be considered a viable economic