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Question

Difficulty: MediumSouthern Economy, Society, and the Defense of Slavery

Source: Alexis de Tocqueville, *Democracy in America*, 1835

"On the left bank of the Ohio [in Kentucky], labor is confounded with the idea of slavery; on the right [in Ohio], it is identified with that of prosperity and improvement. . . . [In Kentucky], the citizen is exempt from the necessity of labor, but he does nothing; on the other, [in Ohio], he is condemned to work, but his labor is useful. . . . Thus the influence of slavery, which at first sight seems to be purely economic, extends far deeper: it shapes the very character of the citizen, making labor a source of dishonor rather than of independence."

Which of the following aspects of Southern society in the period from 1800 to 1848 best explains the cultural attitude toward labor described in the passage?

  1. The dominance of a planter elite whose wealth and status equated manual labor with social degradationAnswer
  2. B
    The rapid expansion of mechanized factories in the South that replaced plantation agriculture with wage labor
  3. C
    The widespread reliance on European indentured servants to meet the growing labor demands of the cotton boom
  4. D
    The Supreme Court rulings under John Marshall that actively restricted Southern states from protecting agricultural property

Answer

The dominance of a planter elite whose wealth and status equated manual labor with social degradation
The correct answer is correct because the Antebellum South was characterized by a distinct social hierarchy dominated by a small planter aristocracy. Since wealth, social prestige, and political influence were tied directly to the ownership of land and enslaved labor, physical or manual labor became culturally associated with the status of enslaved people, leading to a general attitude among the planter class that manual work was degrading.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus provided in the question.
The passage by Alexis de Tocqueville contrasts the free state of Ohio with the slave state of Kentucky, noting that in Kentucky (the South), labor is viewed as dishonorable and associated with the low status of slavery.
Understanding the core argument of the stimulus is essential to identifying the correct historical context.
2
Evaluate the social structure of the Antebellum South between 1800 and 1848.
The South possessed a rigid social hierarchy dominated by the planter class (large slaveholders). In this society, owning enslaved laborers was the primary path to wealth, prestige, and political power, which devalued physical labor for white citizens.
Connecting the author's observations to the historical reality of the Southern planter hegemony explains why labor was viewed as a source of dishonor.
3
Evaluate the answer choices against the historical evidence.
The option concerning the planter elite directly aligns with the social hierarchy that devalued manual labor. Options regarding industrialization, indentured servitude, or Marshall Court restrictions are historically inaccurate or irrelevant to this social dynamic.
Eliminating incorrect distractors based on chronological errors and conceptual misunderstandings confirms the correct choice.

Key Concept

Southern Social Hierarchy and the Planter Elite
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Topics

Southern Economy, Society, and the Defense of Slavery

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