Overview
As more plantations and slaves consolidated into the Southern states, abolitionists campaigned harder for the freedom of slaves and equality for Americans.
- In an 1837 speech, John C. Calhoun stated that slavery was far from a “necessary evil” and more of a “positive good” for the benefits it gave.
- The Northern states generally disagreed with this, and the abolitionist way of thinking aimed at freeing slaves.
- Slavery promoted the plantation system, which in turn encouraged plantation owners to buy up huge amounts of land for their crops and slaves.
- With plantations taking up such large expanses of land, there became less land for the average American to buy.
- Since property and land was needed to be considered free, plantations, and slavery by association made America less free.
- Eventually all of the factors culminated, and South Carolina seceded from the union in 1860. Ten other states followed, and became the Confederate States of America.