Final answer:
Southern slaveholding politicians significantly influenced the federal government before the Civil War, affecting the presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court. Their influence perpetuated the institution of slavery and caused growing tensions between the North and South, leading to the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
Influence of Southern Slaveholding Politicians
Southern slaveholding presidents and politicians wielded substantial influence over the federal government throughout a significant portion of American history leading up to the Civil War. This influence extended across several spheres including presidential elections, congressional representation, and Supreme Court appointments. Slave Power became a term used notably in the antebellum period to describe the alleged control slaveholders had over the federal government, raising concerns among northern critics that the intention was to nationalize slavery. Conversely, southern White yeoman farmers, while supportive of slavery, often distrusted a strong federal government, fearing its potential interference with the institution of slavery and the natural workings of the economy.
The wealth generated by slavery created a class of elite slaveholders who not only dominated the southern economy but also played pivotal roles in national politics. Southern society and culture were deeply intertwined with the institution of slavery, resting on a racial ideology and a vision of the United States as a White man's republic. Despite the fact that a large number of White southerners did not own slaves, the defense of slavery was common, ranging from arguments about slaveholder benevolence to the belief in White supremacy.
Leading up to the Civil War, the division between the North and South grew more pronounced with increasing tension over the issue of slavery's expansion. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 highlighted the South's political vulnerability and set the stage for secession and the establishment of the Confederate States, which explicitly championed the preservation of slavery as a fundamental right and foundation of their society.