Which of the following statements is a common misconception about white southerners in the antebellum South?

Question

A.
Most southern whites treated their slaves very fairly.
B.
The majority of slave owners freed their slaves after 10 years.
C.
All whites in the South were middle class farmers.
D.
The majority of whites owned slaves.

Answer 1

The statement that is a common misconception about white southerners in the antebellum South is:

D. The majority of whites owned slaves.

In reality, while the institution of slavery was central to the southern economy and many white southerners supported it, the majority of whites in the South did not own slaves. Many were subsistence farmers or laborers who did not have the means to own slaves. Only a smaller percentage of white households owned slaves, often the wealthier planters.