During the antebellum period both pro and antislavery sentiments were gaining momentum throughout the American society. Most of the antislavery and abolitionist activities were concentrated in north. Whereas, the proslavery activities were openly practiced in southern states, and were displayed more discreetly in northern societies. During this time, African American and white supporters started to question the morality of slavery and demanded an immediate end of the slavery. Based on various rebellion and Haitian revolution, advocates of antislavery saw a possibility of a violent slave uprising, which could damage both economic and national integrity of new republic, if the practice is not stopped. They proposed an argument …show more content…
After 1830 the critiques of abolition took the ideological defense of slavery to new dimension by proposing slavery as an "necessary evil". One by one southern educators, scientist, politician and literary figures clung to the idea of slavery as "positive good". Southern scientific society asserted that the blacks were biologically and metallic inferior race, and their anatomy differed from Caucasian and Indians, thus making immune to harsh work and punishment. Much to pleasure of slaveholders, they used these false scientific assumptions in justifying the inhumane treatment of African American slaves. One of them eve went to declare slaves suffered from a disease called draeptomania that made them suddenly run …show more content…
Another proslavery argument held that history itself destined blacks to be inferiors. Their argument was no black has shown any capacity to change the chain of slavery and barbarity acting upon their race. Scholars proposed concluded that Instead of freedom and leadership, blacks performed very well in subordinated tasks. The strongest proslavery backlash came from the southern religious leaders that preached that “blackness” was the result of a curse, and the God had created blacks to make them slaves. Many southern white religious leaders promoted the idea that slavery functioned as a civilizing and Christianizing force through their sermons and writings. This ideology was the outcome of common assertion, which believed that the slavery offered a means of converting the heathen blacks into moral and civilized