- Slavery had been a part of the Southern way of life for generations, and many white Southerners believed that it was essential to their way of life.
- They argued that slavery was necessary for the maintenance of their plantation system, which was based on the large-scale cultivation of cash crops such as cotton and tobacco.
- Additionally, many white Southerners feared that if slaves were freed, they would challenge the racial hierarchy that had been established in the South.
- As a result, they resisted any efforts to abolish slavery, even after the Revolutionary War.