Final answer:
Many congressional leaders were unwilling to consider breaking up plantations and freeing slaves due to the economic importance of the cotton industry, the proslavery ideology, and fears of rebellion. The plantation economy was interconnected with global trade, and proslavery beliefs suggested that slavery was necessary for order and profit. Additionally, the expansion of the United States and debates over new territories further complicated the situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reluctance of many congressional leaders to consider breaking up plantations can be attributed to a myriad of political, economic, and social factors. The cotton industry was pivotal to the American and Atlantic markets, making the South's plantation economy interconnected with global trade. Plantation owners viewed enslaved people as essential to their economic stability, and they were deeply invested in the maintenance of the slavery system. Fears of rebellion and unrest, much like those that occurred during the Haitian Revolution, were prevalent among slaveholders, corroborating their resistance to any change in the status quo.
These leaders also labored under the weight of proslavery ideology, which advocated the notion of paternalism as a justification for slavery, claiming that it provided order and discipline to enslaved individuals. Furthermore, securing national commitment to slavery was essential for them as it fueled not only the southern economy but also the North's industrial sector indirectly. The high value of the cotton crop and the potential loss of profits and stability made many unwilling to disrupt the established system. Consequently, considerations to dissolve plantations and free slaves were politically unpalatable to many officials.
The Louisiana Purchase and subsequent expansion raised questions about whether new territories would be slave or free, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. As the United States grew and debates intensified, proslavery factions clung to their economic interests and sociopolitical beliefs to justify the continuation of slavery. Despite some freed people managing to retain land after emancipation, discriminatory practices persisted, which further solidified the barriers against massive economic and social restructuring that freeing slaves and redistributing land would entail.