National Contradiction Unveiling the Pervasive Economic Interests in Slavery Across America.
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National Contradiction: Unveiling the Pervasive Economic Interests in Slavery Across America.
Instructions
Historians increasingly note that slavery was a “national contradiction, not a southern peculiarity.” By this, they mean that slavery had a national reach and that all areas of the country had an economic interest in slavery. Based on the readings, do you agree or disagree with this statement and why?
Books to Cite: (Must Cite These Works)
Edward Baptist - The Half Has Never Been Told
Charles Dew - Apostles of Disunion
Michael Adams - Living Hell
2
The Economics of Slavery
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ate
Basing on the economic interest of slavery in the country's economic development,
historians argued that slavery was not a Southern peculiarity but rather a national
contradiction. All the areas of the country had economic interest through the practice of
slavery. I agree with the argument by historians that slavery had a national reach due to some
defenders concerning the nation's economy. Some of the defenders for economic of slavery
involve social good, humanitarianism, religion, and economics itself of the nation of
America. This paper discusses the agreement on the economics of slavery in the development
of the countries' economies.
3
In agreement with the historian’s statement concerning slavery as a driver for national
development and economy, American prosperity resulted from the slavery economy. The
Southern planters were mainly slaves; they were responsible for the bulk wealth produced in
the nations. At the time, slavery was legal, accepted socially, and rally in the colonies; as a
result, more jobs were created, and there was an improvement of the economies in America.
Trade was developed due to the labor provided by slaves in the plantations in the production
of raw materials and other products for sale in the markets. Major consumer goods were
produced from slave labor and thus became the basis of trade in the nineteenth and the
eighteenth centuries.
1
. Goods such as sugar, cotton, tobacco, rum, and coffee were produced
from their cheap labor of slaves. They enabled the development of trade and the
improvements of the economy of the South and other places in America. There were arguments that there would be widespread chaos and even unemployment
if slavery came to a sudden end in the South. There would so much negative impact if slavery
came to an end. The foundation of the Southern economy depended and mainly relied on
labor that slaves provided. If slavery were to be topped at the time, the cotton industries in the
South would be stopped due to the lack of labor at the plantations. 2
. The economy will
collapse due to the unavailability of the labor required at the fields, plantations, and even at
the factories. The profits from the rice fields would cease in the Southern economy, and there
would be loss as tobacco crops will dry in the fields. This will adversely affect the economy
of the South and every country that relies on slavery for development. 1 Engerman, Stanley L. "Review of The Business of Slavery and the Rise of American Capitalism, 1815-1860 by Calvin Schermerhorn and The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist."
Journal of Economic Literature
55, no. 2 (2017): 637-43.
2
Dew, Charles B.
Apostles of disunion: southern secession commissioners and the causes of the Civil War
. University of Virginia Press, 2017.
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4
Another reason to defend slavery as a national contradiction, as a driver for the
national economy, is that slavery is the natural state of humanity, and it has existed
throughout the history of humanity. The English had slaves until recently, the Romans and
Greeks had slaves, and they helped develop their county's economy. Slaves were better cared
for, according to the defenders that were defending slavery for the rise of the nation's
economy. A comparison of the Northern States versus poor Europe proved how slaves were
taken care of.
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. When the slaves became sick, they were assisted by their owners, who knew
their values for the economy. Even in the instances where slaves needed support and
protection, they were granted by their masters; the aged were taken good care of. This is
unlike the ones who become helpless after being fired and the economy of the nations
dropped gradually in their absence. To conclude, slavery played a critical role in developing the United States, Southern
States, and even the European States. Half of the earnings of the government were from
slavery economic. Industries in Europe developed from slavery provision of raw materials.
Businesses developed in the South due to slavery in cotton production and the services that
the slaves provided. The services from slaves enabled the development of textile industries,
shippers, insurance corporations, cotton brokers, and even processing factories in the South.
From the above discussion, it is evident that slavery impacted the development of the national
economy of the countries. 3
Adams, Michael CC.
Living hell: The dark side of the Civil War
. JHU Press, 2014.
5
References
Engerman, Stanley L. "Review of The Business of Slavery and the Rise of American Capitalism, 1815-1860 by Calvin Schermerhorn and The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist."
Journal of Economic Literature
55, no. 2 (2017): 637-43.
Dew, Charles B.
Apostles of disunion: southern secession commissioners and the causes of the Civil War
. University of Virginia Press, 2017.
Adams, Michael CC.
Living hell: The dark side of the Civil War
. JHU Press, 2014.