Antebellum South: This term describes the period before the Civil War when slavery was legal in much of the southern United States.
Paternalism: Paternalism was a belief held by many white southerners that they had a duty to care for enslaved people as if they were children, but this attitude perpetuated racial inequality and control.
Slave Codes: Slave codes were laws enacted in the southern states that restricted the rights and freedoms of enslaved people, further entrenching their subjugation.