Module3SlaveryandtheAmericanCivilWarSection2Backgroundinformation1.AboutSlaveryOneissue,however,exacerbatedtheregionalandeconomicdifferencesbetweenNorthandSouth:slavery.ResentingthelargeprofitsamassedbyNorthernbusinessmenfrommarketingthecottoncrop,SouthernersattributedthebackwardnessoftheirownsectiontoNorthernaggrandizement.Northerners,ontheotherhand,declaredthatslavery——the"peculiarinstitution,"whichtheSouthregardedasessentialtoitseconomy——waswhollyresponsiblefortheregion'srelativebackwardness.Asfarbackas1830,sectionallineshadbeensteadilyhardeningontheslaveryquestion.IntheNorth,abolitionistfeelinggrewmoreandmorepowerful,abettedbyafree-soilmovementvigorouslyopposedtotheextensionofslaveryintotheWesternregionsnotyetorganizedasstates.ToSouthernersof1850,slaverywasaconditionforwhichtheyfeltnomoreresponsiblethanfortheirEnglishspeechortheirrepresentativeinstitutions.Insomeseaboardareas,slaveryby1850waswellover200yearsold;itwasanintegralpartofthebasiceconomyoftheregion.OnlyaminorityofSouthernwhitesownedslaves.In1860therewereatotalof46,274plantersthroughouttheslave-holdingstates,withaplanterdefinedassomeonewhoownedatleast20slaves.Morethanhalfofallslavesworkedonplantations.Someoftheyeomanfarmers,70percentofwhomheldlessthan40hectares,hadahandfulofslaves,butmosthadnone.The"poorwhites"livedonthelowestrungofSouthernsocietyandheldnoslaves.Itiseasytounderstandtheinterestoftheplantersinslaveholding——theyownedmostoftheslaves.Buttheyeomenandpoorwhitessupportedtheinstitutionofslaveryaswell.Theyfearedthatiffreed,blackswouldcompetewiththemforland.Equallyimportant,thepresenceofslavesraisedthestandingoftheyeomenandthepoorwhitesonthesocialscale;theywouldnotwillinglyrelinquishthisstatus.AstheyfoughttheweightofNorthernopinion,politicalleadersoftheSouth,theprofessionalclassesandmostoftheclergynownolongerapologizedforslaverybutchampionedit.Southernpublicistsinsisted,forexample,thattherelationshipbetweencapitalandlaborwasmorehumaneundertheslaverysystemthanunderthewagesystemoftheNorth.Before1830theoldpatriarchalsystemofplantationgovernment,withitspersonalsupervisionoftheslavesbytheirmasters,wasstillcharacteristic.Gradually,however,withtheintroductionoflarge-scalecottonproductioninthelowerSouth,themastergraduallyceasedtoexerciseclosepersonalsupervisionoverhisslaves,andemployedprofessionaloverseerswhosetenuredependedupontheirabilitytoexactfromslavesamaximumamountofwork.Slaverywasinherentlyasystemofbrutalityandcoercioninwhichbeatingsandthebreakupoffamiliesthroughthesaleofindividualswerecommonplace.Intheend,用心爱心专心however,themosttrenchantcriticismofslaverywasnotthebehaviorofindividualmastersandoverseerstowardtheslaves,butslavery'sfundamentalviolationofeveryhumanbeing'sinalienablerighttobefree.2.Blacks’historyinAmerica(1660—1860)AmericanBlacksarewithoutdoubtallofAfricanorigin.Thefirstgroupof20BlackswhoweresoldtoEnglishsettlersofVirginiain1619werebroughtinbyaDutchship.Fromthattimetothemid—19thcentury,some14millionblacksweretransportedfromWestAfricatoVirginiaandothersoutherncoloniesoftheNewWorld.Almostallofthemweresoldintoslaveryandsubjectedtowhiterule.Notonlywouldtheyworkfortheirmastersasslavesforlifebutalsotheirdescendantswouldbeslavesthemomenttheywereborn.Ofcoursenopersonwouldhavevoluntarilychosentobesoldawayfromhisnativecountry.Hewaseithersoldbyhisownrulersorcapturedbywhiteslavetradersasp...
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