struggle for control in America, slavery was the South's stronghold and the hidden motive

behind many political actions and economic statistics. By dominating Southern life, slavery

also dominated the economic and political aspects of life in the South from 1840 to 1860.

By the 1840's and 50's the Southern economy had almost completely become

slave and cash crop agriculture based. Without slaves in the south a person was left either

landless and penniless or struggling to get by on a small farm. However, even though

slaves dominated the southern economy, slaveholders only included about 2 to 3 percent

of the population. This small percentage was the amount of people successful in a slave

based, cash crop agricultural, Southern economy. Therefore, the Southern economy was

territories. This Compromise created stronger fugitive slave laws which satisfied Southern

Dred Scott decision. Dred Scott was a slave who had been taken into a free territory by

free state, the Mexican Cession subject to popular sovereignty, and dictated that there

uproar. The Kansas and Nebraska act was a disruptive and shortsighted solution to a

things under the Compromise and the reaction they caused led to slavery becoming an

cotton, tobacco, or sugar production and without these integral items the Southern

Some common words found in the essay are:
South Essay, Northern America, Kansas Nebraska, Missouri Compromise, Dred Scott, Negro Slavery, Civil War, Washington DC, Abolitionists Free-Soilers, Mexican Cession, southern economy, slavery dominated, missouri compromise, political issues, southern life, 1840 1860, dred scott, kansas nebraska, kansas nebraska act, popular sovereignty, negro slavery, slavery dominated political,
Approximate Word count = 622
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)