Final answer:
The main argument that Southerners made in defense of slavery was that it was beneficial to both the slaveholders and the slaves themselves. They argued that it helped to civilize Africans and bring them into a more civilized society. They also claimed that it provided a sense of order, duty, and legitimacy to the lives of individual slaves and that abolishing it would violate their property rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main argument that Southerners made in defense of slavery was that it was beneficial to both the slaveholders and the slaves themselves.
They argued that slavery helped to civilize Africans and bring them into a more civilized society. They also claimed that slavery provided a sense of order, duty, and legitimacy to the lives of individual slaves. Additionally, they argued that abolishing slavery would violate their property rights as guaranteed by the Constitution.