Understanding the Role of Slavery in the Southern States’ Economy and Political Power Struggle with the North

What did the southern states want with slavery and the population?

Slaves should be considered in determining representation

The southern states were highly dependent on slavery for their economic prosperity. Slave labor was used to cultivate crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane, which were major exports from the region. Additionally, the southern states had a smaller population than the northern states, and many believed that allowing more slaves to enter and be born into the region would help to balance out this population disparity.

Therefore, the southern states wanted to maintain slavery as a legal institution and protect it from abolitionist movements. They also wanted to increase the number of slaves in their population, either through the international slave trade or through breeding, to keep their economy thriving and their political power intact. This desire to maintain slavery and increase the slave population ultimately led to conflicts with the northern states, who were opposed to the institution and sought to abolish it.

More Answers: