identify which of the following groups would have been most supportive of slavery in Texas before the U.S. Civil War
The most supportive group of slavery in Texas before the U.S. Civil War would have been:
- Plantation owners: They directly benefited from the institution of slavery as it provided them with cheap labor for their large-scale agricultural operations, such as cotton or sugar plantations. Slavery enabled them to amass wealth and maintain their socio-economic status.
Other groups that could have been supportive of slavery, but to a lesser extent, include:
- Southern Democrats: As the dominant political party in the South, they generally supported the preservation and expansion of slavery.
- Pro-slavery politicians: This includes state legislators and government officials who actively promoted and defended slavery as a fundamental aspect of the Southern economy and societal structure.
- Slaveholders: Individuals who themselves owned and benefited from enslaved people would have been supportive of the continuation of the slave system.
- Some religious and intellectual figures: Although not all members of these groups supported slavery, some religious leaders and intellectuals used theological and pseudo-scientific arguments to defend and justify the institution from a moral, social, or economic perspective.