"Slavery has been the step-ladder by which nations have passed from barbarism to civilization. . . . It is the only means of reclaiming the savage, and training him to habits of industry. In the infancy of society, it is indispensable. . . . The slave is under the control of a master who is interested in his preservation, and who provides for his wants when he is incapable of providing for himself."
— Edward Brown, Notes on the Origin and Necessity of Slavery, 1826
Which of the following developments in the South during the early nineteenth century is most directly reflected in the ideas expressed in the excerpt?
- The shift among Southern leaders toward defending slavery as a positive social and economic institutionAnswer
- BThe rapid integration of Southern yeoman farmers into the industrial factory system of the Market Revolution
- CThe replacement of hereditary chattel slavery with temporary contracts for indentured servants
- DThe Supreme Court's efforts under John Marshall to assert federal control over domestic labor systems
Answer
The shift among Southern leaders toward defending slavery as a positive social and economic institution
The correct answer is correct because the excerpt from Edward Brown's 1826 treatise represents the early development of the 'positive good' argument. Unlike earlier leaders who often described slavery as a 'necessary evil' that would eventually disappear, writers and politicians in the antebellum South increasingly defended slavery as a benevolent institution that civilized African Americans and provided them with paternalistic care.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The ideological defense of slavery as a positive good in the antebellum South.