Southern secession drove by fear of slave resistance, not abstract principle

Evidence

Enslavers knew that abolitionism—and the loss of federal power, White proslavery unity, and the ability to spread out their enslaved population—all hindered their ability to control the teeming slave resistance that had not relented in 1860. South Carolina secessionists only had to utter one word to induce fear—Haiti—its meaning well known. While Garrison considered secession to be suicidal, some enslavers considered remaining in the Union to be suicidal. — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 569

Categorization

• XREF: The Haiti invocation parallels the post-Dred Scott/‘Harriet Beecher Stowe effect’ fear of slave revolts discussed in earlier chapters; also ties to the Haiti-fear theme Kendi traces. — connects to: Fear of loyalist-slavery-invasion convergence pushed southern delegates toward independence — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 133
• QUESTION: Worth checking: how much did South Carolina’s unique Black-majority demography shape secession urgency vs. other states?