Question

"We of the South will not, cannot, surrender our institutions. To maintain the existing relations between the two races, inhabiting that section of the Union, is indispensable to the peace and happiness of both. …There is and always has been in an advanced stage of wealth and civilization, a conflict between labor and capital. The condition of society in the South exempts us from the disorders and dangers resulting from this conflict; and which explains why it is that the political condition of the slaveholding States has been so much more stable and quiet than that of the North."

- Excerpt from John C. Calhoun’s speech “Slavery is a positive good,” February 6, 1837
Which statement BEST describes Calhoun's justification of slavery?

A) Slavery is necessary in the South because slaves are not capable of self-government.
B) Slavery is necessary in the South and without it there would be more labor conflicts.
C) Slavery is necessary in the South and has made the South much wealthier that the North.
D) Slavery is necessary in the South because the North is also dependent on this forced labor system.

Answer 1

Calhoun defended slavery by arguing that it prevented labor conflicts in the South and provided stability and economic benefits, contrasting it with the North's wage system that was seen as more exploitative. He portrayed slavery as a positive good essential for the peace and economic stability of Southern society.

Step-by-step explanation:

John C. Calhoun's justification of slavery revolves primarily around the idea that it was a stabilizing force that prevented class conflict and economic instability in the South. He believed that slavery exempted the South from the labor and capital conflicts that plagued the North, leading to a more stable and tranquil society. Additionally, Calhoun and other southern defenders of slavery thought that slavery was a positive good that provided order and benefits to both the enslaved and the enslavers, contrasting it with the North's wage labor system which was seen as exploitative.

Calhoun's arguments for slavery included the notion that it offered a peaceful coexistence between races and classes, provided basic needs for the enslaved, and supported an economy that allowed white Southerners to pursue what they saw as higher civilization endeavors. This was part of a broader southern ideology that depicted slavery as not only an economic necessity but also as a moral and stabilizing institution.

Answer 2

Calhoun justifies slavery by saying that there always needs to be a lower class, which Calhoun believes that it is African-Americans

Which would be C