It is possible to say that the period between the end of the Revolution and the beginning of the Civil War was the most important in terms of the development of the so called " Peculiar Institution

" of slavery. In order to define the changing master - slave relationship, one must look at the historical background to Southern slavery. The defining characteristics or outside influences provide the

key to an understanding of the master - slave relationship during this period. __Slavery seemed a very mutable institution which changed constantly to adapt to the different situation. The main

contention of this essay is that, what started off as an essentially economic institution in order to help boost production of staple crops like, cotton, sugar, and tobacco, developed into the definitive

characteristic of the emerging Ante - Bellum South. As the Civil War seemed inevitable in 1861 one of the key questions was whether the South would be able to protect it's " Peculiar Institution."

__Although slavery began in 1619, it was essentially confined _ ð7?3 _Što the Eastern seaboard states throughout the Seventeenth, and most of the eighteenth century. It wasn't until after th

determination of the South to maintain it's " Peculiar Institution." The changing relationship goes from what was considered a legitimate economic necessity to the wish to preserve an essential,

interest in slavery, even they defended it up to a point, at least as the right to property if nothing else. The master slave relationship was run on the basic theory that it was perfectly normal for them

crops like, sugar, tobacco and, later cotton. Along with certain technological inventions made it seem more likely that the Southern economy was going to be based on slave labour. As Boles

to the African traditions and religions that had been passed on to them, as a means of identity that their master could not strip from them because they couldn't understand it. __During the early

for the freed slaves so much harder when it finally happened. The changing relationship of the master and slaves, I believe can be seen as a direct result of the pressures that slavery caused for the

codes could easily be changed to suit the needs of the slaveholders, if slaves became difficult to control, and more likely to run away the slave patrols would pick them up, if the slaves complained

slaves became more of a threat and so the records reflect this with severe punishment for rebellious slaves, and more fear of a slave insurrection. The Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut in 1861 reflects

Some common words found in the essay are:
Slave Community_, Peculiar Institution, Deep South, Civil War, Ole Massa's, Boykin Chesnut, Ante-Bellum South, master slave, Nat Turner, master slave relationship, slave relationship, Masters Slaves, _ ð73, Culture_ Southern, deep south, relationship master, institution slavery, civil war, black slaves, black slave, peculiar institution, relationship master slave, _ ð73 _Što, mid nineteenth century, beginning civil war,
Approximate Word count = 2164
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)