The Significant Role Of Slavery In The 19th Century

Slavery played a significant role in the 19th century which also contributed to the development of America. The vast majority of slavery occurred in the southern states, since the Missouri compromise prohibited slaves in new northern states. The south flourished economically through slave's labor on the wide-ranging plantations. The social side of slavery in the South gave plantation owners a poor reputation. Politically, the south broke from the union to protect their slaves. The average southerners life revolved around slaves, which kept them thriving. As America grew rapidly and the south kept multiplying in slaves and depended on them agriculturally, the north still rejected attaining slaves. Politically there were uprising events that led to the south spreading its trade of slavery. The kansas- nebraska act repealed the missouri compromise and allowed each territory to make the decision to the issue of slavery. Ultimately the north was devastated and the flame of opposition was lit. As the states began the voting process David Atchison, a senator from missouri, joined a group of almost 2,000 men to go vote in kansas for pro-slavery, they acquired the nickname “border Ruffians”. To
Slavery became so popular that white workers eventually started losing their employment to slaves because it was less costly. In 1859, white workers in South Carolina petitioned for relief against competition with African slaves. With the invention of the cotton gin, cotton became a very popular product. Because of this, plantations grew and owners dreamed of expanding west and becoming acclaimed names. Slavery played a role in westward expansion. By the time the Civil War came around, cotton was the largest export in the United States, which was based off of slavery. When the Civil War started, the South had one advantage, which was the control of one of the most substantial exports in