AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Southern Defense of Slavery (Day 130/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about the Southern Defense of Slavery as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

The Friends of Humanity, New York Public Library

Slavery, once deemed a "necessary evil," transitioned into being called a "peculiar institution" by John C. Calhoun in 1830, as Southerners intensified their efforts to defend it against growing abolitionist movements.

Slavery and the Constitution, Thinking Nation

A central argument for supporters of slavery was states' rights. They claimed that the Constitution left the regulation of slavery to individual states.

The Negro in His Own Country & The Negro in America, Digital History: University of Houston

Slavery was also defended as a "positive social good," supposedly offering better living conditions, food, shelter, and an ordered life when compared to Africa. Additionally, some used biblical references to argue that the Bible condoned servitude and actively exposed enslaved individuals to Christianity, emphasizing the alleged benefits of the institution.

Indigenous Races of the Earth, Wikimedia Commons

Popularized racial theories were also used to justify slavery, suggesting that African Americans were less sensitive to pain and had smaller skulls, implying lower intelligence.

Defenders of slavery invoked racial doctrines, constitutional protection, and even Biblical support to justify the institution. 

Join me tomorrow as I explain the Kansas-Nebraska Act in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!