Slavery Positive Good

Slavery as a Positive Good Slavery in the south had grown in the early 1800’s. Importation of slaves had been outlawed since 1808 thus requiring the future of the trade to be a domestic issue . Since all slaves would now be born in the United States, there came a question of what to do? Slaves were obviously unable to fend for themselves as they were less than human. It became clear that the slave owners were, in fact, doing their slaves a favor. Thus rose the fact that regardless of how anyone felt, it was in the slave’s best interest to remain the property of the slave owner. A new way of managing slaves began. Most slave owners during the 1830’s until the Civil War were very wealthy and thus gave rise to a new profession, the

Samuel Cartwright theorized about a disease the slaves had making them run away. He called this Drapetomania. He classified the desire of slaves to run away as a buildup of carbon in the blood from his natural disposition of idleness and sloth. It was also as much a mental disorder as any other mental affliction, but it was curable! Slaves needed physical activity to expand their lungs and re-oxygenate their blood and expel the excess carbon. Too much carbon would lead to further illness making the mind and body weak. The negro would be feeble minded and would go as far as to become numb in the skin to where they would burn themselves by standing too close to the fire. This would be evident by the burn holes in the clothes and shoes. Heavy lifting, labor or brisk walking would be the answer. It was the white man’s responsibility to the negro to ensure the over carbonization of the blood did not happen . It was

George Fitzhugh brought some very solid points as to the good slavery was doing in an 1854 publication. Mr. Fitzhugh discussed the differences in the northern states and the southern states in their social successes. The north was a dismal place to live. Cities were crowded, dirty and ridden with crime and poverty. The north couldn’t maintain itself as their resources were not abundant enough to sustain their population and the distribution of wealth was greatly unbalanced. There were work strikes, mobs, trade unions and armed resistance to the law. The south was much nicer. It was an agriculture based economy and there was enough to sustain a population of four to five times more citizens. People were polite and though there were poor in the south, none went without food or were over worked . Slavery in the south made all these things possible. How could this not be good? These are just a few reasons slavery in the south was a good thing. The citizens of the US had been struggling with the reality of slavery had found the moral high ground. The negro was employed by well-intentioned masters who, in fact, cared about their well-being and would not allow them to be mistreated or misused. A medical professional knew that for the negro to be successful, he needed the master to tend to his health. Lastly, society was a much better environment. Something the north would know nothing about. It was a good