Why did white planters dominate and control the Southern society?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the reasons for the dominance of white planters in Southern society, specifically looking at economic and social factors that contribute to their power.
Answer
White planters dominated due to wealth from cotton and political power.
White planters dominated Southern society due to their significant wealth from cotton production and their political power gained from it, despite being a small percentage of the population.
Answer for screen readers
White planters dominated Southern society due to their significant wealth from cotton production and their political power gained from it, despite being a small percentage of the population.
More Information
Despite being only a small fraction, large slaveholders managed to exert control due to their economic contributions and their ability to influence political decisions that maintained and protected slavery.
Tips
A common misunderstanding is assuming most southerners owned slaves, but the vast majority did not.
Sources
- Wealth and Culture in the South – U.S. History - pressbooks-dev.oer.hawaii.edu
- The society of the South in the early republic (article) | Khan Academy - khanacademy.org
- How Slavery Became the Economic Engine of the South | HISTORY - history.com
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