From this intensification came the pragmatic tone and inductive mode that the editor sees as a. Maria stewart 1835 maria stewart was one of the first female abolitionist lecturers. The facts and statistics used in the first edition, were brought down to the close of 1854, mainly, and the arguments founded upon the then existing state of things. Arguments in favor of admitting african americans into full membership in society are some of the most radical by any white author of the era. Cotton is king, and proslavery arguments comprising the writings of hammond, harper, christy, stringfellow, hodge, bledsoe, and cartwright, on this important subject. Proslavery rhetoric, tise shows, came late to the south. Proslavery thought in the antebellum south, 1830 1860. Cotton is king, and proslavery arguments 1860 edition. Pro slavery arguments 1banning slavery would deprive slave owners of their property their slaves 2 african americans were better off enslaved than free because slave owners in the south stated that they cared for them. Franklin collection, rare book and special collections division, library of congress 322. Proslavery thought in the antebellum south, 18301860 library of southern civilization.
The proslavery argument in brazoria county, texas, 18401865 by matthew k. He demonstrated that arguments to the effect that slavery was a positive good arose before the rise of abolitionism during the 1830s. The book owes both its title and much of its intellectual foundation to the british social critic and historian thomas carlyle. The project gutenberg ebook of cotton is king and proslavery. His influential proslavery argument offers theological, historical, and political evidence in a pointbypoint refutation of the antislavery arguments of his day. In 1846, matthew estes published a defence of negro slavery, as it exists. Proslavery rhetoric, tise shows, came late to the south, where the heritage. In 1832, he helped form the new england antislavery society. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Others have generally agreed with joel williamson that, like southern. Drew gilpin faust, associate professor and chairman of. The proslavery argument in brazoria county, texas, 18401865. They did not spring up suddenly in response to the unrelenting attacks of abolitionists. By 1860, slave labor was becoming an exception in the new world, confined to brazil, cuba, puerto rico, some small dutch colonies, and the south.
Proslavery was an ideology that promoted the practice of slavery and defended against any interference with the system. Also called plantation literature, these writings were generally written by authors from the southern united states. The abolitionist movement in the united states of america was an effort to end slavery in a nation that valued personal freedom and believed all men are created equal. The defenders of slavery in the south had several arguments that they used to rationalize slavery. One of those movements centered on an efort to abolish slavery in the united states. Richard fullere the biblical antislavery argument is so well arranged and clearly presented that one can easily forgive the prominence given to the syllogistic william harper, memoir on slavery in the proslavery argument, 28 et seq. In the united states, proslavery sentiment arose in the antebellum period as a reaction to the growing antislavery movement in the united states in the late 18th century and early 19th century. Mathews has recently shown, this viewpoint was just as natural and consistent as was evangelical. The proslavery lobby put forward a number of arguments to defend the trade and show how important it was to britain. Proslavery is an ideology that perceives slavery as a positive good. William lloyd garrison the liberator, abolitionist.
The religious defense of american slavery before 1830 larry r. The trade was necessary to the success and wealth of britain. Slavery was a topic we discussed greatly in this class, but it never got boring or repetitive because there was a great amount of interesting information in the book. But this book made her very unpopular with many former readers. The abolitionist movement during the antebellum period, was a critical time in american history. Text of the proslavery argument 1832, by thomas dew. Tise suggests that american proslavery thought, far from being an invention of the slaveholding south, had its origins in the crucible of conservative new england. The biblical antislavery argument of the decade 18301840. They threw some bodies into bonfires and left others for the wolves.
A proslavery argument, 1857 a close reading guide from america in class 4 the gains of his. His influential pro slavery argument offers theological, historical, and political evidence in a pointbypoint refutation of the anti slavery arguments of his day. Probing at the very core of the american political consciousness from the colonial period through the early republic, this thorough and unprecedented study by larry e. The abolitionist movement during the antebellum period. A history of the defense of slavery in america, 17011840 tise, larry e.
In the decades leading up to the civil war, sectional tensions between north and south manifested themselves in both popular and political discourse. In 1830, william lloyd garrison started an abolitionist paper, the liberator. The positive good thesis and proslavery arguments in britain and. Connecticut theologian jonathan edwards, born 1745, echoes benezets use of the golden rule as well as the natural rights arguments of the revolutionary era to justify the abolition of slavery. In this printed version of his 1791 sermon to a local anti slavery group. In a brilliant chapter in the liberal tradition in america louis hartz has placed the political theory of the southern defenders in perspective, and william r. Southerners wanted to keep the tradition of slave labor alive, and were justifying slavery in any way possible. Major points of the pro slavery argument free essays. A history of the defense of slavery in america, 17011840. As white and black women became more active in the 1830s as lecturers. Bledsoes liberty and slavery, or slavery in the light of moral science, discusses the right or wrong of slavery, exposes the fallacies, and answers the arguments of the abolitionists.
Defenders of slavery argued that the sudden end to the slave economy would have had a profound and killing economic impact in the south where reliance on. Many of which were caused by new inventions that lead to. This book contains essays by leading proslavery advocates in 1860. While the abolitionists argued for the immediate end of slavery, proslavery forces worked to justify the institution of slavery. Even though abolitionism, as a political cause, remained unpopular in the north and south, antislavery literature such as harriet beecher stowes uncle toms cabin 1852, solomon northups. What tise does is trace the origins of the pro slavery defense or positive good argument back to its origins among new england clergy and other northern thinkers and writers. During the 1830 s americans thought that the social violence of slavery would disappear if they sent back all the slaves to where they came from foner. It specifically focuses on the way that proslavery views were eventually supported by many members of the church, using the bible to support these beliefs. The ideology of slavery includes excerpts by thomas r. The abolitionist movement was an organized effort to end the practice of slavery in the united states. The slavery debate was a response to the bloodiest slave rebellion in u. Slavery was the economic foundation in the southern states during the 1800s. Books in the genre attempted to show either that slavery was beneficial to african americans or that the evils of. Proslavery advocates before the civil war the beginning of proslavery arguments occured as a result of the growth of abolitionism robinson 1.
As maintained by the most distinguished writers of the southern states. Thornton stringfellow, a brief examination of scripture testimony on the institution of slavery. In the book fitzhugh unapologetically acknowledges that the south is a slave society, but he claims that the north is, too. Abolition, antislavery movements, and the rise of the sectional. How did proponents of slavery in antebellum america defend it as a positive good. Proslavery arguments, on the other hand, positively promoted slavery and the slave trade. Slave owners justified them being property because slaves were blackin other words not people. A rhetorical analysis of selected proslavery sermons by presbyterian clergy in the antebellum south dill, russell pepper, ph. The goal of this movement was to emancipate all slaves immediately, and end discrimination, as well as segregation. On august 21, 1831, an enslaved preacher named nat turner and about sixty other men killed fiftyeight white men, women, and children in southampton county. Calhoun, and william joseph harper were some of the men most famous for propagating the proslavery argument.
A rhetorical analysis of selected proslavery sermons by. His volume, at just over five hundred pages, is not easy reading, but he deals with an important subject, has an original thesis, and proves many of his points. The louisiana state university and agricultural and mechanical col, 1994 umi 300 n. Comprising the writings of hammond, harper, christy, stringfellow, hodge, bledsoe, and cartwright, on this important subject. Proslavery arguments document 1 the new confederatesouthern constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our institution of african slavery as it exists amongst us the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. Southern justification of slavery the following arguments were put forth in southern books, pamphlets and newspapers to defend the institution of slavery. Over time, abolitionists grew more strident in their demands, and slave owners. By the 1830s, slavery was practiced mainly in the southern united states. With an argument that was as much a critique of industrialism as it was a defense of slavery, southern spokesmen contended that chattel slavery, as it was practiced in the american south, was more humane than the system of wage slavery that prevailed in the. The religious defense of american slavery before 1830.
Antislavery arguments were unpopular, even in the north. In this activity, you will examine the views of antislavery abolitionist and. Tise challenged this common belief about proslavery arguments. The proslavery argument in the development of the american methodist church abstract this article discusses the evolution of the methodist church. In both, capitalists seek to live off the muscle of others as much as any fiji chieftain seeks to dine on human. Morrison historians, because of their own moral sensibilities, have consistently under valued the slaveholding ethic.
In this printed version of his 1791 sermon to a local antislavery group, he notes the progress toward abolition in the north and predicts that through. Proslavery the main issue in america politics during the years of the late 1840s to the late 1870s was slavery. History ch 10 proslavery and antislavery arguments. The first leaders of the campaign, which took place from about 1830 to 1870, mimicked some of. Aside from the paternalistic argument offered earlier, the narrative of the life of frederick douglass made numerous other claims that discredited the proslavery ideology. Harper, memoir on slavery in pro slavery argument, 51. Slavery and state rights, economies and ways of life. The brave men and women involved in this movement were called abolitionists and antislavery advocates. The merchants and planters warned that abolition would mean ruin for britain, as the whole economy would collapse.
Learn pro slavery argument with free interactive flashcards. The debate over slavery in the 1820s, 1830, and 1840s, the second great awakening helped to inspire a reformist impulse across the nation. The pro slavery lobby put forward a number of arguments to defend the trade and show how important it was to britain. Proslavery thought in the antebellum south, 18301860 library of southern civilization kindle edition by drew gilpin faust. Zephaniah kingsley is the author of the most popular proslavery tract, selfpublished in 1828 and reprinted three times. His established reputation as an accurate reasoner, and a forcible writer, guarantees the. Online free hathitrust comprising the writings of hammond, harper, christy, stringfellow, hodge, bledsoe, and cartwright, on this important subject. Choose from 119 different sets of pro slavery argument flashcards on quizlet. She notes the intensification of the proslavery argument between 1830 and 1860, when southern proslavery thought became more systematic and selfconscious, taking on the characteristics of a formal ideology with its resulting social movement. Antitom literature consists of the 19th century proslavery novels and other literary works written in response to harriet beecher stowes uncle toms cabin. Facts, information and articles about abolitionist movement, one of the causes of the civil war. Text of the proslavery argument 1832, by thomas dewthomas roderick dew 18021846 was an economist, professor of law, and president of the college of william and mary.
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