Thread by @radicaltheory

dr. w. e. b. du bois, on how poor whites were instructive in the maintenance of the institution of slavery:

“the system of slavery demanded a special police force and such a force was made possible and unusually effective by the presence of the poor whites. this explains the difference between the slave revolts in the west indies, and the lack of effective revolt in the southern US.”

“in the west indies, the power over the slave was held by the whites and carried out by them and such negroes as they could trust. in the south, on the other hand, the great planters formed proportionately quite as small a class...”

“...but they had singularly enough at their command some five million poor whites; that is, there were actually more white people to police the slaves than there were slaves. considering the economic rivalry of the black and white worker in the north...”

“...it would have seemed natural that the poor white would have refused to police the slaves. but two considerations led him in the opposite direction. first of all, it gave him work and some authority as overseer, slave driver, and member of the patrol system.”

“but above and beyond this, it fed his vanity because it associated him with the masters. slavery bred in the in the poor white a dislike of negro toil of all sorts. he never regarded himself as a laborer, or as part of any labor movement.”

“if he had any ambition at all it was to become a planter and to own ‘n-ggers.’ to these negroes he transferred all the dislike and hatred which he had for the whole slave system. the result was that the system was held stable and intact by the poor white.”

“even with the late ruin of haiti before their eyes, the planters, stirred as they were, were nevertheless able to stamp out slave revolt.”

“the dozen revolts of the eighteenth century had dwindled to the plot of gabriel in 1800, vesey in 1822, of nat turner in 1831 and crews of the amistad and creole in 1839 and 1841. gradually the whole white south became an armed & commissioned camp to keep negroes in slavery...”

“...and to kill the black rebel. but even the poor white would not have kept the black slave in nearly so complete control had it not been for what may be called the safety valve of slavery; and that was the chance which a vigorous & determined slave had to run away to freedom.”

“under the situation as it developed between 1830 and 1860 there were grave losses to the capital invested in black workers. encouraged by the idealism of those northern thinkers who insisted that negroes were human...”

“the black worker sought freedom by running away from slavery the physical geography of america w/its paths north, by swamp, river & mountain range; the daring of black revolutionists like henson and tubman; & the extra-legal efforts of abolitionists made this more & more easy.”