7/24/2019 Slavery in Pre Civil War US

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/slavery-in-pre-civil-war-us 1/2

What social, legal and economic status did slaves have in

antebellum south? Support your response by referencing primary

source material.

Slaves in the pre-war South had very few rights. They were considered hardly

human, second class citizens in comparison to their free, white counterparts. This culture of racism and prejudice was embedded into southern society, and

this made it very dicult for the abolitionist movement to take hold, unlike in the

northern states, which abolished slavery long before the south.

 The dramatic dierences in points of view on the subject are demonstrated in the

article SLAVERY AND TRUTH !"igure #$, which states that slavery should be

tolerated by all %hristians and is also an institution in their country which states

have the right to hold dierent views on, and in Susan & 'nthony(s speech MAKE

THE SLAVES CASE OUR OWN !"igure )$. This speech argues that if the roles were

reversed and if white people saw from the slave(s perspective, that *how veryeasy would be he as! o" #o$ver%$& us all o Abol%%o$%ss' . "igure # was written

in the +eep South at the beginning of the civil war, whereas "igure ) was written

in pre-war ew ork the cultural capital of the orthern States. This e/hibits the

vast cultural dierences between the geographical regions of the 0nited States,

which would ultimately clima/ in the %ivil 1ar.

&ecause of the South(s agricultural focused economy, Slavery was a key factor

which drove their economic success. 1ithout it, they would have to rely on the

industrial prowess of the north, diminishing their strong economies. &ecause of

this economic signi2cance, the 3uestion of abolishment turned from one of

morals to one of economics, which diminished slaves( rights in the south even

more.

4n pre-war 0nited States, measures were taken by the federal government in

order to keep the union together, and prevent the inevitable war. This included

the fugitive slave act of #567, which re3uired all escaped slaves to be returned

to their masters, even in non-slave states. 4t was nicknamed the 8bloodhound

law( by abolitionists, and is pictured in 2gure 9: a satirical cartoon drawn in #5;7.

 This controversial law did not prevent the civil war, and further cemented the

southern view of slaves as only property, and not as <uman &eings.

7/24/2019 Slavery in Pre Civil War US

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/slavery-in-pre-civil-war-us 2/2

 

"igure ) #56=

"igure # #5>#?

"igure 9 Satirical cartoon picturing northern states as bloodhounds chasing

after slaves, who are escaping to %anada, #5;7