Video Reaction #1 - John C. Calhoun

John C. Calhoun

During the antebellum period—the decades before the Civil War—slavery shaped nearly every part of life in the American South. John C. Calhoun, one of the most influential politicians of the time, argued that slavery was not just necessary but a “positive good.” He believed the Constitution gave states the right to protect slavery, and his ideas helped deepen the divisions between North and South.

The lives of enslaved people showed the truth behind those arguments. Daily life was filled with long hours of work, starting before sunrise and ending late at night. At the end of the day, most returned to small, overcrowded cabins with dirt floors and little shelter from the weather. Clothing was limited, and many went without shoes or blankets during the winter. Calhoun described slavery as beneficial, but in reality it was a system of hardship and suffering.

Antebellum Period - Slaves in South Carolina

Slave markets were one of the most visible signs of this cruelty. In cities like New Orleans, Richmond, and Charleston, enslaved men, women, and children were bought and sold in public auctions. Buyers inspected their bodies and bid for them as if they were property. Families were often split apart, with parents, children, and spouses sent to different owners. After the United States banned international slave imports in 1808, the domestic slave trade expanded. More than one million people were forced to move from the Upper South to the Deep South in what historians call the Second Middle Passage. By 1860, enslaved people had become the South’s most valuable economic resource, worth more in total than all the land.

Even under these conditions, enslaved people resisted. They created strong communities, held on to cultural traditions, and in some cases risked everything to escape. Guided by stars and rivers, some traveled north at night, despite the danger of slave hunters and dogs. Each attempt was an act of incredible bravery and determination.

While the United States struggled with slavery, Britain was beginning to move in a different direction. In 1772, the Somerset case decided that enslaved people in England could not be forced back into slavery. By 1807, Parliament had ended the slave trade across the empire. These steps showed that change was possible and gave hope to abolition movements elsewhere.

The contrast between Calhoun’s defense of slavery and the real experiences of enslaved people highlights one of the biggest contradictions in American history. The strength, courage, and resilience of enslaved communities stand as a lasting reminder that even in times of deep injustice, people found ways to resist and hold onto their humanity.

Sources:

• American Battlefield Trust. “Slave Markets.” Battlefields.org, American Battlefield Trust, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/slave-markets

• American Historical Association. “Slavery and the Value of Enslaved People.” Historians.org, American Historical Association, https://www.historians.org/

• Library of Congress. Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1938, https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-writers-project-1936-to-1938/

• Stern, Jessica. “Slavery’s Brutal Second Middle Passage.” Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Institution, 16 Jan. 2019, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/slavery-second-middle-passage-180964873/

*AI Disclosure: portions of this blog post were assisted by AI.