Slavery and the Antebellum South

Slavery in the Antebellum South was a system that subjected millions of African Americans to forced labor and dehumanization. Most enslaved people worked on plantations, primarily in the production of cash crops such as cotton and tobacco, which were vital to the Southern economy. The societal structure of the South was heavily dependent on slavery, as it not only provided labor but also reinforced a rigid class hierarchy. Enslaved individuals resisted their conditions in various ways, including subtle acts of defiance, escape attempts, and the preservation of cultural practices, which ultimately laid the groundwork for the abolitionist movement.