Why did poor white Southerners support a slave society in which they had so little power?Group of answer choicesThey believed they should defer to their 'betters' who held powerThey had little power but many privileges in a society that was egalitarian despite great divisions in wealth.They viewed enslaved African Americans as having better lives than they did themselvesThey benefited from slave labor even on their own small farms.
Question
Why did poor white Southerners support a slave society in which they had so little power?Group of answer choicesThey believed they should defer to their 'betters' who held powerThey had little power but many privileges in a society that was egalitarian despite great divisions in wealth.They viewed enslaved African Americans as having better lives than they did themselvesThey benefited from slave labor even on their own small farms.
Solution
Poor white Southerners supported a slave society in which they had so little power for several reasons:
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They believed they should defer to their 'betters' who held power: This belief was rooted in the hierarchical structure of Southern society. Despite their own lack of wealth and power, poor white Southerners often respected and deferred to the wealthy plantation owners who held significant social and political power.
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They had little power but many privileges in a society that was egalitarian despite great divisions in wealth: Even though they were poor, white Southerners still enjoyed certain privileges simply because of their race. They were not subject to the same harsh treatment and discrimination that enslaved African Americans faced.
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They viewed enslaved African Americans as having better lives than they did themselves: This is a less common perspective, but some poor white Southerners may have viewed the lives of enslaved people as being better than their own, perhaps because slaves were provided with food and shelter by their owners.
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They benefited from slave labor even on their own small farms: Even if they did not own slaves themselves, poor white Southerners could still benefit indirectly from the institution of slavery. For example, they could hire out slaves or purchase goods produced by slave labor. This economic benefit could have motivated their support for the slave society.
Similar Questions
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.For most of modern American history, scholarship and popular thought have blamed the legacy of Southern slavery for the distressing persistence of racial inequality. And of course, slave owners and their descendants do possess a unique and lethal responsibility for racial suppression. But it is also the case that if no slaves ever existed in the South, Northern white theorists, religious leaders, intellectuals, writers, educators, politicians, and lawyers would have invented a lesser race (which is what happened) to build white democratic solidarity, and in that way make democratic culture and political institutions possible. In the United States the rights of man were “inevitably yoked to Africanism.” In other words, American democracy depended on Black inequality to sustain white equality.1) American democracy's foundation on Black inequality, as suggested by the historical actions of Northern theorists and leaders alongside Southern slavery, underscores a systemic racial suppression to sustain white equality.2) The persistence of racial inequality in modern America can solely be attributed to the Southern legacy of slavery, with other factors playing minimal roles in this systemic issue.3) Northern white theorists and leaders would not have felt the need to create a lesser race if slavery had not existed in the South, suggesting racial inequality solely stemmed from Southern practices.4) The rights of man in the United States were based on a democratic ideal that valued equality for all races, showing a unanimous effort to uphold racial justice throughout history.
.Why was slavery so important to the South
Although enslaved people were poorly clothed and housed compared to most white Southerners, they were more likely to receive A:A. an education.B:B. legal rights.C:C. a salary.D:D. medical care.
During the 1800s, which group of Southerners dominated the politics and economy of the South? A:A. all classes of landownersB:B. middle class agrariansC:C. freed African AmericansD:D. wealthy plantation owners
Which of the following best explains why only a tiny minority in the North joined and supported the abolitionist movement?Multiple choice question.Most northerners supported the continuation of slavery.Despite strong antislavery sentiment, most people were afraid of mob violence.The movement lacked a realistic, long-range plan for ending slavery.Abolitionist leaders lacked the courage to inspire a growing and continued movement.
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