Question

Why did almost all white southerners, regardless of social or economic class, nevertheless support and/or defend the institution of slavery

Answer 1

They were so poor that they had little strength to protest. They believed in their racial supremacy over black slaves. White Southerners justified slavery by saying that someone needed to produce all the cotton and without the slaves, no one would do it, and the cotton kingdom would fall apart. They believed without slavery, blacks would become violent, and that slavery provided a sense of order.

Step-by-step explanation: