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Violence In The Antebellum South Essay

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Chattel slavery in the antebellum South was a brutal and dehumanizing institution that was deeply intertwined with pervasive violence against enslaved individuals. This essay will delve into the multifaceted relationship between slavery and violence, drawing upon insights from three scholarly sources: "Slave Patrols: Law and Violence in Virginia and the Carolinas" by Sally E. Hadden, "The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery" by Eric Foner, and "The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism" by Edward E. Baptist. Through their analyses, we will explore the different forms of violence, their targets, and the underlying goals within the context of chattel slavery.

Hadden's examination of slave patrols sheds light on how violence was institutionalized to maintain the slave system in the antebellum South. Slave patrols, organized groups tasked with enforcing slave codes, utilized physical force and intimidation tactics to assert control over enslaved individuals. The primary aim of these patrols was to uphold the economic and social order of the slave society by quelling any resistance or defiance among the enslaved population. By using violence as a tool of control, slave patrols perpetuated the dominance of white …show more content…
Enslaved individuals endured various forms of violence, including physical abuse, sexual exploitation, and familial separation. Moreover, violent backlash against abolitionist movements and efforts to maintain slavery demonstrated how violence was utilized to suppress dissent and uphold the oppressive system. Foner's work underscores the deeply entrenched role of violence in perpetuating the exploitative system of chattel slavery, highlighting how it was a tool wielded to maintain power differentials and reinforce racial

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