Defending Slavery: Proslavery Thought in the Old South: A Brief History with Documents

by Paul Finkelman

Offering invaluable insights into how slavery shaped American history and continues to affect American society, Defending Slavery: Proslavery Thought in the Old South shares viewpoints from proslavery, Southern thinkers based on religion, politics and law, economics, history, philosophy, expediency, and science.

Genres: History, American History, American Civil War, Politics, Race, School

228 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2003

About the author

Paul Finkelman is an American legal historian. He received his undergraduate degree in American studies from Syracuse University in 1971, and his master's degree (1972) and doctorate (1976) in American history from the University of Chicago.

Reviews

[Joseph Stieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding collection of documents with a great intro essay on the history of pro-slavery thought and its importance in antebellum society as well as its legacies after the Civil War. Main themes are religious, racial, legal, economic, and moral/civilizational justifications for slavery. Shows the genuine if terrifying commitment of antebellum pro-slavery thinkers to slavery as a "positive good" and the center of their social and economic systems. Common to most of these documents was the idea of slavery as part of a naturally or divinely ordered universe in which races, genders, and classes have preordained and proper roles in which all will be happy (in contrast to what they saw as the raw capitalism of the north). Many of these documents come dangerously close to opposing democracy. Most of these documents show that racism was the hinge of most justifications for slavery: it was their way of answering why this human-seeming group could be treated differently than whites and why so many whites believed that slavery was good and natural for black people. Best documents in here for teaching purposes are probably an address from Calhoun, the Cornerstone speech by Stephens, and Cartwright's utterly bizarre diagnosis of various slave-specific ailments like rascality and a "running away" disease that could only be cured with even tougher structure and discipline.

[Marshall Hess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Southerners suffered from the deep human problem of seeing only what they were looking for and arguing for conclusions that they had already committed to. Their axiomatic approach to the issue of racial inferiority is a typical example of how hard it is to see what we do not wish to see, and how easy it is to be completely convinced of what we have subconsciously assumed. The basis of the whole range of arguments defending slavery ultimately rested on the premise of racial inferiority. Alexander Stephens says so himself: “[Abolitionists] assume that the negro is equal, and hence conclude that he is entitled to equal privileges and rights with the white man. If their premise were correct, their conclusions would be logical and just—but their premise being wrong, their whole argument fails” (91).
This book is worth reading, but be warned: it could mess with your head. It is really frightening to see how we humans not only become stubbornly convinced of things, but everything we experience confirms our beliefs. How do we possibly avoid that? And we have to find out, given how much is at stake.

[Beckie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many valuable documents in this book that provide incite into the arguments in favor of slavery.

[Kgabo Mokhatla]

Kgabo

[Cortney R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book for a history class in my early years of college, but I reread it recently. It is a fascinating look on the American version of slavery, namely racial slavery, and the cycles that it went through. The author explains the several defenses of slavery, including religious, scientific and economic reasoning, and what provoked them.

It includes a summary by the author and several pieces of notable figures of American history including Thomas Jefferson.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really good book to read along with the "Slavery and the Founders" book. It shows how truly twisted proslavery arguements were and to what extremes southern slaveholders would go to defend their peculair institution. The documents are really interesting to read and just see what they could come up with to defend slavery. Read it.

[Bryan Mcquirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I have read many books about the Civil War, and slavery, and been in countless discussions about the issue. What was nice about this book was to actually read the source material that was used to defend the institution of slavery through the various means...social, economical, religious, etc.

[Jork · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slavery was a monstrous injustice, defended to the death by the rich, powerful racial feudalists of the American South. This book lays bare for the modern reader the disgusting logic used to enslave and then oppress African-Americans.

[Shain Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Defending Slavery: Proslavery Thought in the Old South; A Brief History with Documents, written by Paul Finkelman, is possibly the single most warped presentation of selective truths this graduate student has read in some considerable time.

[T]

Strange to hear the other side of the story and the twisted, economic and scientific rational that buttressed the pro-slavery argument

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting to read the opinions of pro slavery thought in the Old South. There are variety of basis of these arguments, but all these writings demonstrate that it all came back to racism.

[Katie Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-read for southerners.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting...