Final answer:
George Fitzhugh and James Hammond depicted race and class through their justifications of slavery and societal actions, respectively. They both contributed to the Jim Crow ideologies that propagated racial segregation and systemic inequality, shaping the Southern culture and affecting African American lives.
Step-by-step explanation:
George Fitzhugh, James Hammond, and other representatives of the antebellum South articulated complex perspectives on race and class that both shaped and reflected the broader sociopolitical climate of their times. Fitzhugh, in his sociological writings, argued for a paternalistic view of slavery, wherein he posited that Black people were better off enslaved because they were not equipped for competition in a free society. Fitzhugh's works contribute to discussions of race and class by suggesting a hierarchy where race dictates one's social and economic position.
James Hammond, on the other hand, perpetuated the ideology of white supremacy through his actions and personal life, as seen in his relations with the Hampton daughters, thereby reinforcing the concepts of racial purity and social class divide. This not only affected the lives of those directly involved but also the social fabric of Southern honor and reputation. Hammond's life and political career thus serve as an embodiment of the intersection of race, class, and gender in the context of Southern society and the defense of the institution of slavery.
Both men's views formed the ideological underpinnings of the Jim Crow system, emphasizing racial segregation and systemic inequality. Langston Hughes later reflected on this reality in his literary works, depicting the lived experience of African Americans under Jim Crow laws, where adherence to the racial protocols of the time dictated every aspect of public and private life.