The Fight to Preserve Slavery in Pre-Civil War Texas

Abstract

Commitments of White Texans in Preserving Slavery Institution during Pre-civil War and War Years Slavery served as a strong backbone of the American economy and thus proved instrumental to the economic prosperity of Texas. Through slavery, white Texans enjoyed the availability of free and cheap labor to the demanding cotton, among other agricultural-related farms that greatly enhanced the American economy's growth. Losing such privileges proved challenging for most white Texans who believed that slavery was vital for the continued prosperity of America as a whole. Who were these white Texans? One can define white Texans as white southerners who believed in slave acquisition at their disposal. Most southerners enslaved people and used them in their demanding cotton farms, which proved the most profitable cash crop in America at the time (Trulson and Marquart, 2021). White Southerners who enslaved people turned out to be very rich due to their available cheap and free labor on their demanding farms, which added the value of such enslaved people making these white Texans fight tirelessly for slave legalization. The election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860 brought to light enslaved people as this man advocated for enslaved freedom, arguing that a house divided against itself had no chance of success (Trulson and Marquart, 2021). The Northerners were antislavery and thus seconded Lincoln's emancipation proposal, leading to strong rebellion from the white southerners and a fierce civil war. During the civil war, the white Texans continued to express the risks of losing slavery in terms of economic prosperity, arguing that freeing enslaved person would affect their input on the demanding farms, among other chores. Southerners feared losing enslaved people's free and cheap labor as they believed their white counterparts would not match the enslaved people's contributions. The fight continued with strong...