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

Whitemarsh B. Seabrook, Southern planter and politician, essay on the management of slaves, 1834:

"The slave of the South is well-fed, well-clothed, and well-sheltered... he is under the care of a master who is bound by self-interest, if not by humanity, to protect him. In sickness and old age, he is cared for. Contrast his condition with the northern factory worker, who is cast off when his labor is no longer profitable."

The views expressed in the excerpt were most directly used by Southern defenders of slavery to support which of the following claims?

  1. A
    Enslaved workers held a legal status similar to indentured servants who could contract for their freedom.
  2. Enslaved labor was more secure and humane than Northern industrial wage labor.Answer
  3. C
    The expansion of Southern cotton production led to a decline in Northern factory development.
  4. D
    Tariff policies, rather than labor systems, were the sole source of tension between Northern and Southern states.

Answer

Enslaved labor was more secure and humane than Northern industrial wage labor.
The correct answer is supported by the text's explicit contrast between the lifelong care allegedly provided to enslaved people by their masters and the abandonment of Northern factory workers when their labor was no longer profitable. This comparison was a central element of the 'positive good' defense of slavery.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source attribution and text to identify the author's argument.
The author compares Southern enslaved labor to Northern factory labor, claiming enslaved people are better cared for in sickness and old age.
This establishes the core theme of the paternalistic or 'positive good' defense of slavery.
2
Evaluate the choices to find the claim that aligns with this defense.
The claim that enslaved labor was more secure and humane than Northern wage labor directly matches the text's comparison.
This identifies the correct conceptual argument being tested.

Key Concept

Paternalist and 'Positive Good' Defenses of Slavery
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Southern Economy, Society, and the Defense of Slavery

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