The Impending Crisis of the South facts for kids

The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It is a very important book published in 1857. It was written by Hinton Rowan Helper, who was from the Southern United States. Helper wrote most of the book in Baltimore. However, it would have been against the law to publish it there.

The book strongly criticized slavery. It argued that slavery was not good for the economy. Helper believed it stopped white people from getting ahead financially. Famous anti-slavery leaders like Horace Greeley helped share the book widely. This made many Southerners very angry. One historian, George M. Fredrickson, said it might be the most important book ever published in the U.S. because of its political impact. In the Northern states, it became known as "THE book against slavery."

Why Helper Criticized Slavery

Helper's book spoke out against slavery. But he did not focus on whether it was fair or religious reasons. Other writers from the North had already talked a lot about those points. Instead, Helper attacked slavery based on money and business. He wanted to show white people in the South how slavery hurt their own financial interests. He was not trying to be especially friendly to or sympathetic with Black people.

Helper argued that slavery harmed the Southern economy. He said it stopped new businesses and factories from growing. He believed this was why the South was far behind the North. The North had more people and a stronger economy. Helper claimed he was speaking for most white Southerners. These were often poor or middle-class people. He felt they were held back by a small group of rich slave owners.

Helper used strong words in his book. He wrote that people against slavery were the true friends of the South. He said slave owners were actually enemies of their own region. He believed anti-slavery people worked for the good of the whole country. He felt pro-slavery people were trying to divide the states.

How Slavery Hurt the Southern Economy

Helper's book showed many examples of how the South was not doing well economically because of slavery. For example, Massachusetts grew 16 bushels of wheat per acre. Virginia, a Southern state, only grew seven. Iowa grew 36 bushels of oats per acre. Mississippi, another Southern state, only grew 12.

Helper also looked at population changes. In 1790, New York had 340,000 people. Virginia had 748,000. But by 1850, New York's population grew to over 3 million. Virginia's population was only about 1.4 million. Land in the North also sold for much more money than land in the South. Helper included many such facts and figures in his book. He got most of his information from official sources like the U.S. Census.

The Book's Big Impact on Politics

A shorter version of the book was released in July 1859. This version was called a Compendium. It kept the facts and numbers but used less harsh language. This was done to help the Republican Party before the 1860 presidential election. Sixty-eight Republican members of Congress supported this shorter version. By December 1859, 500 copies were being sold every day.

This book caused a lot of anger in the South. In most Southern states, just having a copy of the book was seen as a crime. People who distributed the book were arrested. Some people in Arkansas faced severe punishment for having it.

The U.S. House of Representatives met on December 5, 1859. They could not do any work until February 1, 1860. This was because the members were so divided. They could not agree on who should be the Speaker of the House. Helper's book was the only thing they argued about. During this difficult time, Southerners refused to accept anyone who had supported Helper. This was one of the longest arguments in the House's history.

In response to Helper's book, Louis F. Schade published his own book in 1860. It was called A Book for the "Impending Crisis!" Appeal to the Common Sense and Patriotism of the People of the United States. "Helperism" Annihilated! The "Irrepressible Conflict" and Its Consequences!

Helper's Views on Race

Helper's book was mostly ignored by people who wanted to end slavery. This was because Helper held strong beliefs about white supremacy. He believed white people were superior to Black people. His main goal in writing the book was to help Southern white people, not Black people. He thought Black people were not equal to whites. He also believed that after slavery ended, Black people should be sent out of the United States.