- Slavery created an inefficient labor system that inhibited economic growth and development.
- It perpetuated a plantation economy, neglecting investment in industrialization.
- Slave labor was more expensive in the long term than paid labor.
Social:
- Slavery maintained a rigid social hierarchy that limited opportunities for whites without significant wealth or status.
- It restricted the social mobility of non-slaveholders.
- Slave society contributed to high levels of violence, crime, and social unrest.
- It hindered the development of a strong middle class.
Political:
- The defense of slavery shaped southern politics and created divisions within the United States.
- Slavery perpetuated a system of limited white democracy, denying rights to non-slaveholders.
- It led to the outbreak of the American Civil War and caused severe destruction and loss of life.
Moral and Ethical:
- Slavery violated fundamental principles of human rights and dignity.
- It perpetuated systemic racism, discrimination, and racial inequality.
- The system of slavery created immense suffering and dehumanization for millions of enslaved individuals.