Pro-Slavery

Definition

Pro-slavery refers to the belief, ideology, and advocacy in favor of the institution of slavery, particularly the enslavement of African Americans in the United States. This stance supported the continuation and expansion of the slave system, often citing economic, social, and racial justifications for its preservation.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Pro-slavery advocates argued that slavery was a benevolent institution that provided for the welfare of enslaved Africans, who they believed were inferior and incapable of self-governance.
2. The pro-slavery movement in the South was driven by the economic importance of the cotton industry, which was heavily reliant on slave labor.
3. Pro-slavery supporters in the federal government sought to expand the institution of slavery by acquiring new territories, such as Cuba and Nicaragua, through filibuster expeditions.
4. The Compromise of 1850 included the Fugitive Slave Act, which was a major victory for pro-slavery forces, as it required the return of escaped slaves to their owners.
5. The election of Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, was seen as a threat by pro-slavery advocates, leading to the outbreak of the American Civil War.

Review Questions

• Explain the economic and social justifications used by pro-slavery advocates to support the continuation of the institution.
  • Pro-slavery advocates argued that the institution of slavery was essential to the Southern economy, which was heavily dependent on the cotton industry and its reliance on slave labor. They also claimed that slavery was a benevolent system that provided for the welfare of enslaved Africans, whom they viewed as inferior and incapable of self-governance. These economic and racial justifications were used to defend the continuation of the slave system and resist efforts to limit or abolish it.
• Describe how the pro-slavery movement sought to expand the institution of slavery through the acquisition of new territories.
  • Pro-slavery advocates in the federal government, known as the 'Slave Power,' sought to expand the institution of slavery by acquiring new territories, such as Cuba and Nicaragua, through filibuster expeditions. They believed in the principle of 'Manifest Destiny,' which held that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, and they saw the acquisition of these new territories as a means to create additional slave states and strengthen the political and economic influence of the pro-slavery faction.
• Analyze the impact of the Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act on the pro-slavery movement.
  • The Compromise of 1850, which included the Fugitive Slave Act, was a major victory for pro-slavery forces. The Fugitive Slave Act required the return of escaped slaves to their owners, even in free states, and imposed penalties on those who aided runaways. This law strengthened the power of the pro-slavery faction by making it more difficult for enslaved individuals to escape and by compelling Northerners to assist in the capture and return of fugitive slaves. The Compromise of 1850 as a whole also helped to delay the outbreak of the American Civil War, giving pro-slavery advocates more time to consolidate their power and influence.

Related terms

Slave Power: The perceived political and economic influence wielded by the Southern slave-owning elite, who sought to protect and expand the institution of slavery.

Manifest Destiny:

The belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, which pro-slavery advocates used to justify the acquisition of new slave territories.

Fugitive Slave Act:

A law passed in 1850 as part of the Compromise of 1850, which required the return of escaped slaves to their owners, even in free states, and imposed penalties on those who aided runaways.