In the time period of 1840 to 1860, slavery was the dominating reality of all southern life. Socially, the wealthy plantation owners relied on slaves to plant the cash crop, and the demand for the crop increased the need for more slaves. Economically, the southerners gained profit from the slaves because of their labor which produced the cotton and was at the time, the leading export. One of the factoring decisions in social class depended on how many slaves someone owned. Planters that owned at least 50 slaves or more were considered part of the upper class. The south depended on slaves to keep the economy growing and strong; so therefore, slavery dominated the south's economy. Without the slave's labor, there would be none of the prized cotton that produced much of the south's wealth.
2 comments:
Yep, you're right. Without the slaves, the economy would fail. And the South could justify it with their many excuses that involved religion and science, which are two rather contradicting terms.
I agree. The South's agriculture without slaves would have been almost nonexistent. It's not like the white people would have picked cotton like the slaves had to. Basically, Marshall's right.
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