Yesterday HCR wrote a short (for her — I typically think her Letters From an American are too long) 4th of July post, reminding us of the most famous words of the Declaration.
From what I've read, the Confederates, i.e., the plantation owners, wanted to keep the system of slavery because it gave them elite positions and wealth, and they used religion to help justify their position. They clearly could not conceive, nor allow, equality, although they wanted to count slaves for purposes of representation in Congress, although they otherwise claimed that slaves were subhuman. [Three-fifths Compromise - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-fifths_Compromise)
From what I've read, the Confederates, i.e., the plantation owners, wanted to keep the system of slavery because it gave them elite positions and wealth, and they used religion to help justify their position. They clearly could not conceive, nor allow, equality, although they wanted to count slaves for purposes of representation in Congress, although they otherwise claimed that slaves were subhuman. [Three-fifths Compromise - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-fifths_Compromise)
Tonight's PBS NewsHour has dialogue that pertains to the issue, including the role of historians and current extremists: [PBS NewsHour full episode, July 4, 2023 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXGV2sWjN4E&t=17s) at TS 9:24: https://youtu.be/WXGV2sWjN4E?t=563
Don't even get me started on the use of religion to justify slavery!