The phenomenon of slavery in America eventually evolved to such an extreme extent that the institution and its aftermath created many years of discrimination and the dramatic split of social classes. Although America thrived economically due to slave labor when it was established, without the Abolitionist Movement, it is unlikely that individuals in our society would have the equal rights and freedoms that they enjoy today. From the 1600’s to the 1800’s, the original intention of slavery was to build economic prosperity for the new nation; however, the abuse that slaves endured eventually transformed slavery into America's greatest nightmare.
Previously, in 1619, in America, slavery first began when 20 African slaves were put aboard a Dutch …show more content…
Furthermore, the idea that slavery had been passed down from generation to generation to a point where it had become cultural intrigued Southerners as well. Slave labor was the foundation of the Southern economy. Abolishing it would have caused the cotton trade with Europe to diminish, the tobacco fields to dry up, and, in a general, men and women would want to explore the country and leave the plantation life. Even though the North had accomplished many technological advancements, the South rapidly produced raw material that was manufactured (Robert Higgs, Ten Reasons Not to Abolish Slavery, www.fee.org). Abolishing slavery would cause the Southern economy to crumble. Moreover, Southerners claimed that if slaves were freed after many years of working under the power of upper class privileged citizens, chaos would ensue because unemployment and apprehension of mixed racial social classes would follow. It was thought that this would cause rebellions, massacres and anarchy. The South had advanced the argument that because the Greeks, Romans and English all had slaves, it would be unjust to force America to abolish it. In addition, since the Constitution states that an individual’s property cannot be confiscated by the Government and slaves were viewed as property, abolishing slavery would be unlawful (The Southern Argument for Slavery, …show more content…
In Europe, around the 18th century, the growth of the textile industry led to a huge demand for cotton from America. However, the crop production in the South was limited due to the massive amounts of labor needed to remove the seeds from cotton fibers by hand. In 1793, Eli Whitney had created an invention that solidified the crucial importance of slavery to the South’s economy. The cotton gin was a simple machine that easily removed seeds from cotton. The production of cotton from a machine had a profound impact on the growth of slavery. As slavery spread to additional states in the South, cotton was produced more efficiently, leaving the economy to largely thrive as well as increase in foreign trade (The Cotton Gin, https://www.eliwhitney.org). This was extremely valuable for America’s economic