Manners: Illustrated Men

Unlike other scholars, Genovese is convinced that the mass of southerners felt no guilt concerning ownership of slaves, accepting it as a fact of life, as ubiquitous in history, and above all as sanctioned by the Bible. Many, however, agonized about their inability to behave toward their slaves in accordance with the standards of humanity described in Scripture, whether Abrahamic or Christian. Their concern was not, as one might suppose, physical abuse or exploitation; they thought that abuse was rare, and they genuinely believed that northern workers were more mercilessly exploited without the cradle-to-grave security of the plantation system.

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About the Author

Andrew Stuttaford

Andrew Stuttaford is the editor of National Review's Capital Matters.

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Unlike other scholars, Genovese is convinced that the mass of southerners felt no guilt concerning ownership of slaves, accepting it as a fact of life, as ubiquitous in history, and above all as sanctioned by the Bible. Many, however, agonized about their inability to behave toward their slaves in accordance with the standards of humanity described in Scripture, whether Abrahamic or Christian. Their concern was not, as one might suppose, physical abuse or exploitation; they thought that abuse was rare, and they genuinely believed that northern workers were more mercilessly exploited without the cradle-to-grave security of the plantation system.

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