The Impending Crisis
Author-Hinton Rowan Helper, 1857. Helper, despite being a rich white Southerner, his book, The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It, Helper provides a highly critical opinion on slavery, opposing the popular Southern views of the times.
Purpose- Helper was trying to show the South the errors of their ways, as well as providing a new viewpoint from the South.
Prior Knowledge- Almost all white Southerners during the time period leading up to the Civil War were extremely pro-slavery in their arguments, making "the Impending Crisis" unique and newfangled.
Audience- All readers of the book, more specifically Northerners, in an attempt to prove that not all Southerners hold the same opinion.
Reason-Helper shows through his book how damaging the South's dependence on slavery is to all aspects of its economy, culture, and relevance on a larger scale.
The Main Idea- Slavery is responsible for the South's fall from economic prominence, leading to a sizable disparity between the progress of the North and the regression of the South.
Significance- While many Northerners hailed Helper's work as righteous and brave, he was persecuted and threatened by his Southern counterparts. Furthermore, the reception of Helper's expose became symbolic of the divide between North and South in America, particularly the polarizing affect slavery had on both regions.
Purpose- Helper was trying to show the South the errors of their ways, as well as providing a new viewpoint from the South.
Prior Knowledge- Almost all white Southerners during the time period leading up to the Civil War were extremely pro-slavery in their arguments, making "the Impending Crisis" unique and newfangled.
Audience- All readers of the book, more specifically Northerners, in an attempt to prove that not all Southerners hold the same opinion.
Reason-Helper shows through his book how damaging the South's dependence on slavery is to all aspects of its economy, culture, and relevance on a larger scale.
The Main Idea- Slavery is responsible for the South's fall from economic prominence, leading to a sizable disparity between the progress of the North and the regression of the South.
Significance- While many Northerners hailed Helper's work as righteous and brave, he was persecuted and threatened by his Southern counterparts. Furthermore, the reception of Helper's expose became symbolic of the divide between North and South in America, particularly the polarizing affect slavery had on both regions.