Final answer:
The reasons that compelled southerners to support the pro-slavery argument included economic benefits, religious justifications, and political ideology. Abolitionist movements did not compel southerners to support slavery; they were actually anti-slavery and fought against the institution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Southern Defense of Slavery
The question of what did not compel southerners to support the pro-slavery argument can be addressed by examining the factors that did contribute to their stance. One of the primary reasons was the economic benefits of slavery, as the Southern economy was heavily reliant on slave labor for the cultivation of crops such as cotton, tobacco, and rice, which were critical to both the American and Atlantic markets. Another factor was religious justifications, where slavery was defended through various interpretations of the Bible, suggesting a divine sanctioning of the institution. Additionally, political ideology influenced the South's defense of slavery, tying into interpretations of the Constitution and the American Revolution, with assertions that limiting slavery threatened political and economic liberties.
In contrast, the abolitionist movements did not compel southerners to support slavery; rather, these movements opposed the institution and fought for its cessation. They constituted a counternarrative to the pro-slavery arguments and aimed at ending slavery on moral and ethical grounds, often invoking the nation's values and challenging the morality of slavery in the United States.