Analysis of “The Impending Crisis of the South”

In an article entitled “The Impending Crisis of the South” Hinton Rowan Helper argued that by over focusing on slavery the slave failed to nourish its other economic facets and had become over reliant on the northern economy. Helper decried that the south had “no foreign trade,” and that southerners contributed nothing to “literature, polite arts, and inventions of the age.” He believed that the slavery was not only ruining the economics of the south, but also its culture, and the minds of its very people. Helper also declared that the talented intelligent southerner would have no reason to stay in the south and this bothered him very dearly; later in the essay Helper mentioned that non slave holding whites in the south are among the most illiterate people in the world. Helper felt that slavery was bringing economic and cultural destruction to his home land. In addition to slavery making the south subservient to the north, Helper also argued that southerners outside the slavery system were severely disadvantaged. He claimed that poor southern whites were “regarded with less esteem than Negroes” and were “infinitely worse off” than even their slave counterparts. Helper was arguing that over focusing on slavery caused the government to neglect those not exploiting slave labor to get by. Not only did this lead to poverty for many poor white folk but it also gave tremendous power to a select few slave holders who became disproportionally wealthy and controlled and unfair amount of society. Helper also bemoaned southern arrogance and claimed that southerners were tricked into believing that they were among the “freest. Happiest, and most intelligent people in the world.” Helper felt that he and his people were being mislead. Helper wanted immediate emancipation for the slaves and he considered himself to be an