Introduction
The period before the American Civil War is commonly called the Antebellum South, an era of significant socioeconomic and political development. Rich plantation owners at the pinnacle of white Southern society controlled the territory’s economic and political life since they possessed a significant number of enslaved people and territory (Chapter 10). Small-scale farmers and laborers who did not enslave people worked on the land beneath them.
Divisions of White Society in the Antebellum South
There were various divisions based on position and income, even within the upper echelons of society. Geographical divisions among the wealthy plantation proprietors were prevalent, with those from Virginia and the Upper South frequently looking down on those from the Lower South (Chapter 10). The divisions also existed based on familial ties and pedigree, with certain families having greater power and influence than others.
Small farmers and workers who frequently had financial difficulties were employed by the plantation owners as laborers. Even though some of them may have had the same skin tone as the plantation owners, their economic and social conditions were significantly distinct. They were compelled to farm their land or obtain employment elsewhere because they did not own enslaved people.
The group was divided along ethnic and racial distinctions as well. Poor white immigrants, such as the Irish, frequently faced prejudice and were deemed less deserving than white people born in the region (Chapter 10). In order to retain their dominance and influence, some wealthy plantation owners attempted to take advantage of these divisions by setting up impoverished whites against enslaved people.
Conclusion
In conclusion, white society in the South throughout the antebellum period became highly stratified, with major divisions between the rich and the poor and distinctions along regional, familial, racial, and ethnic lines. These divisions fostered societal, financial, and political unrest, ultimately resulting in the American Civil War.
Reference
Chapter 10. (n.d.). The South 11 and Slavery 1800–1860.