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This lesson explores the term "our peculiar institution," a euphemism for slavery used in the United States, particularly in the South. It examines the economic ramifications of slavery and the contradiction between the existence of slavery and the ideals of equality outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Historical figures such as John C. Calhoun and Alexander Stephens argued for slavery as a “positive good.” By investigating these perspectives, students will reflect on how slavery was justified and perceived as a distinctive characteristic of American society.
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Unit 5: equality and power Lesson 5.3: Slavery: “A peculiar institution”
Warm up • What have you already know about slavery in the United States?
“Our peculiar institution” • "(Our) peculiar institution" was a euphemism for slavery and the economic ramifications of it in the American South. The meaning of "peculiar" in this expression is "one's own", that is, referring to something distinctive to or characteristic of a particular place or people. The proper use of the expression is always as a possessive, e.g., "our peculiar institution" or "the South's peculiar institution". It was in popular use during the first half of the 19th century, especially in legislative bodies, as the word slavery was deemed "improper," and was actually banned in certain areas.
What makes slavery so “peculiar”? • Some see this expression as specifically intended to gloss over the apparent contradiction between legalized slavery and the statement in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal". But, in fact, at the time this expression became popular, it was used in association with a vigorous defense of slavery as a good thing. One of the leaders in using the phrase, and in advancing the argument that slavery was a "positive good", establishing the proper relation between the races, was John C. Calhoun, most notably in his Speech on the Reception of Abolition Petitions. The March 1861 "Cornerstone Speech" of Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens even argued that Jefferson's words in the Declaration were mistaken, and that the Confederacy's new Constitution, establishing "our peculiar institution", had rectified the error.
Learn more about the “peculiar institution” • http://www.ushistory.org/us/27.asp
Activity • http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/families-bondage#sect-extending • Pro Slavery argument vs abolitionist arguments. Jig Saw
Reflection • In your journal, reflect on what you learned today in regard to “the peculiar institution of slavery”. Why was slavery considered “peculiar”?
