Question
How did most white Southerners feel about enslavement?
Responses
They believed that enslavement was wrong and should be abolished.
They believed that enslavement was wrong and should be abolished.
They believed that their economy and way of life depended on enslavement.
They believed that their economy and way of life depended on enslavement.
They believed that the government was not doing enough to end enslavement in the North.
They believed that the government was not doing enough to end enslavement in the North.
They believed that enslaved people should be free, but only if the government paid their value.
Responses
They believed that enslavement was wrong and should be abolished.
They believed that enslavement was wrong and should be abolished.
They believed that their economy and way of life depended on enslavement.
They believed that their economy and way of life depended on enslavement.
They believed that the government was not doing enough to end enslavement in the North.
They believed that the government was not doing enough to end enslavement in the North.
They believed that enslaved people should be free, but only if the government paid their value.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Most white Southerners believed that their economy and way of life depended on enslavement. The institution of slavery was deeply integrated into the Southern economy, particularly in the agricultural sectors, where plantation systems relied heavily on enslaved labor for the production of cash crops like cotton and tobacco. While there were individuals who felt slavery was morally wrong, the prevailing sentiment among many white Southerners was a strong defense of enslavement as essential for their economic interests and social order.