
This work follows the grim path by which the African slave trade entered the New World, beginning with early Portuguese ventures on the Gold Coast and moving through Spanish, English, and later British enterprises. It shows how the forced migration of thousands of people became tied to the agricultural demands of the Southern colonies, especially cotton and tobacco. By detailing the economic calculus and the legal frameworks that turned human beings into property, the author lays a clear foundation for understanding how slavery was woven into the fabric of early American life.
Written by a former Virginia convention delegate, the narrative seeks to dispel lingering myths that have colored public opinion for generations. Drawing on contemporary records, court decisions, and the writings of figures such as Thomas Jefferson, it examines the moral and political debates that surrounded the institution as it grew more entrenched. The book argues that these debates foreshadowed the sectional rifts that would later dominate national politics, offering listeners a nuanced view of how economic dependency and legislative inertia shaped the country’s trajectory.
Full title
The Heritage of The South A History of the Introduction of Slavery; Its Establishment From Colonial Times and Final Effect Upon the Politics of the United States
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (206K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by MFR, Cosmas and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2020-09-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1816–1894
A Virginia lawyer turned Confederate general, he became one of the Civil War’s most forceful and controversial commanders. After the war, his memoirs and public writing helped shape the "Lost Cause" view of Confederate history.
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