George Fitzhugh's View Of Slavery During The Civil War

During the Civil War era, many were for slavery and found nothing wrong about it. While others were skeptical about slavery. Along with multiple people who were still completely against it. Fitzhugh wanted everyone to agree with the idea of slavery. “ Everyone admits that in such countries the poor need protection. But there can be no efficient protection without enslavement of some sort” ( Fitzhugh L. l1-13). The author is getting his point across by persuasion and manipulation towards his audience, to become pro slavery. Fitzhugh is persuading the audience by explaining the needs for slavery because the african americans need the protection to live. If the slaves were on their own they would not be sheltered or secured. But by letting people

In Fitzhugh’s eyes slavery is a way to keep African Americans protected and away from trouble. Fitzhugh states, “Ambition desires power, and without power there can be no safe, prudent and active benevolence” ( Fitzhugh L. 22-23 ). Power was very important during the 1850’s and even now to this day. If you did not have power you were labeled as weak, and so you would become a slave. George Fitzhugh uses ethos as a way of persuasiveness towards the readers that are against slavery. Fitzhugh got his point across when using these devices and showed why he is proslavery and not an abolitionist. To support his idea he described how the weak could not be protected unless the there was power of control. Slavery was a sensitive topic in the Northern states and they were trying to abolish it due to their beliefs on it. According to Fitzhugh, African Americans were being protected, but in exchange were giving their labor to the wealthy. The author hopes to get most abolitionist on his side and make them see that slavery was a benefit to everyone. It did not matter whether you were known as “weak” or “wealthy” both would gain positive effects from