Profitability of Slavery - 1891 Words

A. Plan of Investigation To what extent was slavery profitable? Research Question: To what extent was slavery profitable? Scope: This paper will focus primarily on the profitability of slave labor and the role that slavery possessed on the South’s economic growth in the Antebellum time period It will refer to economic profitability of slavery as a system rather than an individual business discussing factors such as the prices of slave and cotton prices at the time, the labor output of the slaves, costs of maintaining the slaves, and the net reproduction rate of the slaves. Method: For this particular paper, conclusions were drawn by searching various databases for economic journals by noteworthy professionals who have a background of historical economics. These economists analyzed data from over the years and applied them to economic principals and equations in order to determine if slavery was profitable. Many papers by professionals were then reviewed and information was combined in order to draw conclusions about the economics of slavery in the paper at hand. B. Summary of Evidence Similar to the purchase of any form of capital, the acquisition of slaves is made with the anticipation of gaining greater returns in the near or distant future. This model of classical capital theory is applicable to the profitability of slave owning in the antebellum period because these particular slave investments produced a natural increase with the passage of time. Alfred H. ConradShow MoreRelatedProfitability of Slavery1536 Words   |  7 Pages Topic title: Profitability of Slavery Briefly state the two opposing views. A. Abolitionists condemned slavery based on moral, social, and economic reasons. Many believed that slaves were mistreated and were often subjected to corporal punishment. 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