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Common historical fallacies: Difference between revisions
→Slavery was the basis of the American economy
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== US History fallacies == | == US History fallacies == | ||
=== Slavery was the basis of the American economy === | === Slavery was the basis of the colonial and antebellum American economy === | ||
==== logical fallacy 1: slave-produced exports were the driving force of the antebellum U.S. economy ==== | |||
* while cotton represented a significant portion of antebellum exports, | |||
* and while cotton was the dominant slave-produced southern agricultural product, | |||
** not all cotton was produced by slaves/ slave owners; | |||
** exports were not a significant portion of the overall U.S. antebellum economy | |||
click EXPAND to view chart of US exports as portion of the economy, 1790-1860: | |||
MERCHANDISE IMPORTS, EXPORTS, AND TRADE BALANCE (billions of dollars): | |||
Year Exports GDP Exports as % of GDP | |||
1820 0.07 0.07 10% | |||
1830 0.07 1.01 6.90% | |||
1840 0.12 1.55 7.70% | |||
1850 0.14 2.56 5.40% | |||
1860 0.33 4.32 7.60% | |||
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"> | |||
</div> | |||
[[File:Slavery in the 13 colonies.jpg|thumb|Enslaved populations in the Thirteen Colonies in 1770.[1]]] | [[File:Slavery in the 13 colonies.jpg|thumb|Enslaved populations in the Thirteen Colonies in 1770.[1]]] | ||
[[File:US-SlaveryPercentbyState1790-1860.svg|thumb|Evolution of the enslaved population of the United States as a percentage of the population of each state, 1790–1860]] | [[File:US-SlaveryPercentbyState1790-1860.svg|thumb|Evolution of the enslaved population of the United States as a percentage of the population of each state, 1790–1860]] | ||
==== logical fallacy | |||
* the growth of colonial African slavery was linear (upward but constant) until the development of the cotton gin | |||
==== logical fallacy 2: colonial period slave v. overall population growth ==== | |||
* we can measure the relative importance of slavery, as well as its expansion, by studying slave population numbers and growth | |||
* growth of colonial African slavery was linear (upward but constant) until the development of the cotton gin | |||
** up to 1800, colonial population growth was significantly higher for whites than for slaves (see chart) | ** up to 1800, colonial population growth was significantly higher for whites than for slaves (see chart) | ||
* <U>CONCLUSION</U>: therefore increases in the slave population was not the basis of the colonial development | * <U>CONCLUSION</U>: therefore increases in the slave population was not the basis of the colonial development | ||
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</div> | </div> | ||
==== logical fallacy | ==== logical fallacy 3: colonial per capita wealth not reliant upon slavery ==== | ||
* in 1774, slavery represented a significant proportion of per capita private wealth: | * in 1774, slavery represented a significant proportion of per capita private wealth: | ||
** 28.7% of national per capita wealth | ** 28.7% of national per capita wealth | ||
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**** just as an office building has a value but its economic output is measured not by its value but by the sum of its rents | **** just as an office building has a value but its economic output is measured not by its value but by the sum of its rents | ||
==== logical fallacy | ==== logical fallacy 4: black population growth for about slavery ==== | ||
* according to the decennial Census count: | * according to the decennial Census count: | ||
** only in the 1810 Census count did black population growth ''under slavery'' exceed that of non-black population growth | ** only in the 1810 Census count did black population growth ''under slavery'' exceed that of non-black population growth | ||