Confronting the Modern Era
Dig Deeper: What did white supremacy mean?
Prior to the Civil War, pro-slavery advocates justified keeping African Americans enslaved with different arguments. Most centered around their belief that black people were inferior to them. Arguments were even made that the Bible condoned the enslavement of black people. (Abolitionists also quoted the Bible in their argument against slavery.)
After the war, many white people still believed that the white race was superior to all others. They used this belief to justify ill-treatment of African Americans. White supremacy also allowed poor whites, who didn’t have much money or land, to feel superior to someone.Confronting the Modern Era >> Life in Tennessee >> >>
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