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Difficulty: Very hardSouthern Economy, Society, and the Defense of Slavery

Source: Thomas R. Dew, president of the College of William & Mary, *Review of the Debate in the Virginia Legislature of 1831 and 1832*, 1832

"It is said, slavery is an evil... but we must look to the state of things as they are. ... The slaveholder is not only a republican in politics, but he is a conservative in feelings. The property which he possesses, the interest which he has at stake, makes him a lover of order and a supporter of law. In a slaveholding state, there is less of that wild, radical, and levelling spirit which is so dangerous to the stability of free institutions... The slaveholder is the natural guardian of the state, and the institution of slavery is the very cornerstone of our republican edifice."

Based on the excerpt, the contrast Dew draws between the stability of slaveholding societies and the "wild, radical, and levelling spirit" of free states was most directly shaped by Southern anxieties regarding which of the following?

  1. The growth of working-class radicalism and social reform movements in Northern industrial centersAnswer
  2. B
    The transition of the Southern labor force from indentured servitude to chattel slavery during the early nineteenth century
  3. C
    The collapse of Northern market connections, which led Northern states to return to localized household manufacturing
  4. D
    The belief that federal tariff disputes, rather than disputes over slave labor, were the primary cause of sectional division

Answer

The contrast Dew draws between the stability of slaveholding societies and the "wild, radical, and levelling spirit" of free states was most directly shaped by Southern anxieties regarding the growth of working-class radicalism and social reform movements in Northern industrial centers.
The correct answer is correct because proslavery advocates in the antebellum South increasingly defended the institution as a positive good by arguing that it prevented the class conflict and labor unrest characteristic of the industrializing North. The rapid growth of cities, labor activism, and radical reform movements (such as abolitionism) in the North during the Market Revolution fueled Southern anxieties about social instability and the expansion of democracy without traditional hierarchies.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the author's argument and perspective.
Thomas R. Dew defends slavery by arguing that slaveholders are conservative, respect law and order, and protect the state against a 'wild, radical, and levelling spirit' that threatens free institutions.
This establishes that the author is contrasting the hierarchical stability of the slaveholding South with the perceived instability and radicalism of free-labor societies.
2
Contextualize the historical period (1800-1848) and identify contemporary developments in free states (the North).
During the Market Revolution, the North experienced rapid industrialization, urbanization, the rise of labor unions, and a wave of social reform movements (including abolitionism and women's rights).
This provides the historical context for the 'levelling spirit' that Southern writers criticized.
3
Evaluate the response choices to find the one that matches this historical context and the author's critique.
The option concerning the growth of working-class radicalism and social reform movements in Northern industrial centers aligns with Dew's characterization of free states as lacking order and being prone to radicalism.
This connects Dew's theoretical defense of slavery as a 'positive good' to real Southern fears of Northern social changes and reform ideologies.

Key Concept

Proslavery Ideology and the Positive Good Defense

Hints

1
Analyze Dew's characterization of the Southern slaveholder as a 'conservative' who loves order, in contrast to the 'levelling spirit' of free states.
Estimated Time:3m 0s
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Topics

Southern Economy, Society, and the Defense of Slavery

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