Bamfo 1

Andrea Bamfo

Professor Rachel

HIST 200

8 August 2017

Slavery and the Peculiar Institution

After the American Revolution, America saw many changes as they pertained to slavery.

Due to the increase in the slave population, the importance of slavery in the American economy

slavery definitely became stronger between the American Revolution and the Civil War.

Southerners tried to defend their Peculiar Institution of slavery by calling it valuable to the

slave, master, and society.

In 1790, the slave population totalled at 700,000 people. But when 1808 came around, the

Atlantic Slave Trade had been deemed illegal. By 1860, near the start of the Civil War, the slave

population had risen to a staggering 3.9 million people. The population grew more than five

times in only 70 years.1 This was due to the ever growing rules that southern states imposed on

the slaves in order to keep the slaves in their clutches. These rules included that slaves were not

allowed to read or write, forcing slaves to breed with each other, and being unable to vote.2

The economy in the North was largely reliant on factories, namely textile mills. In order

to create clothing from these textile mills, cotton was needed. The South was the responsible for

producing millions of pounds of cotton. However, the cotton was planted, harvested, and

processed by slaves in the South. Consequently, the economy of the North was directly

intertwined with slavery. There were also plenty of Northern insurance companies that had

slave insurance. Nevertheless, this went against the abolitionist doctrine that many

Northerners were preaching.

1
Rachel Walker, The Peculiar Institution (2017)
2
Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty!: An American History (2016) pg. 419
 Many Northerners were known as abolitionists, people who called for an immediate end

to slavery. Not only were white Northerners abolitionists, but former slaves and free blacks were

as well. Frederick Douglass was a former slave who learned how to read and write and was able

to escape from the South. After his escape, he spoke out against slavery, specifically at a Fourth

of July celebration. At this celebration, he wonders how he or any other black person can

celebrate Independence Day while the enslavement of black people thrives. He asked, What, to

the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him the gross injustice

and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.3 There was also David Walker, who encouraged

black people to look to successful black societies, such as Haiti, in order to inspire them to rise

up.4

While Northerners were advocating for the freedom and rights of slaves, Southerners

were coming up with new ways to justify slavery. Some insisted that slavery was not only for the

benefit of the master, but the slave as well. This was known as paternalism, a slave-master

relationship that states that slavery is positive as the slave is completely dependent on the master,

who takes care of the slave. In return, the master owns the slaves time. Another way they

justified slavery was by use of the Bible. One Southern magazine, De Bows Review, published a

piece about this that stated, We find, then, that both the Old and New Testament speak of

slavery--that they do not condemn the relation, but on the contrary, expressly allow or create it;

and they give commands and exhortations5 In this piece, they explained that Abraham, one of

Gods chosen ones, had numerous slaves.

However, this pro-slavery sentiment did not show up overnight. At first, many

Southerners believed that slavery was a necessary evil, just as the founding fathers thought.
3
Frederick Douglass, My Bondage and Freedom (1852)
4
David Walker, Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World (1829)
5
Anonymous, De Bows Review, Vol. 9 (1850)
But as time went on, their views shifted. White Southerners began to believe that owning slaves

was their right since blacks were inferior and would be unable to take care of themselves without

the guidance and control of the white man. In addition, others used the logic that other great

societies relied on slave labor, so in order to be powerful, too, they needed to use it too.6 They

also used slavery to feel better about themselves. No matter how poor someone was or how

much they were being exploited at work, white people would always be superior to the slaves.

In conclusion, slavery expanded between the American Revolution and the Civil War

and the slavery tried to justify their Peculiar Institution by using the Bible and stating that it

was beneficial to both slaves and society.

6
Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty!: An American History (2016) pg. 419