George Fitzhugh
'Cannibals All!' penned by George Fitzhugh is a provocative exploration of slavery and its justification inside the antebellum United States. Fitzhugh, a Southern social theorist, affords a controversial protection of slavery via critiquing Northern capitalism and selling the idea that slaves in the South had been higher off than the Northern running class. Fitzhugh challenges prevailing notions of man or woman liberty and free-marketplace capitalism, arguing that the institution of slavery offers a paternalistic shape that ensures the well-being of both slaves and slaveholders. He contends that the intended freedom in the North is a sham, with salary employees facing exploitation and financial insecurity. The title, 'Cannibals All!', is metaphorical, suggesting that the North, in Fitzhugh’s view, metaphorically consumes its very own citizens via economic exploitation. Fitzhugh’s work is outstanding for its excessive positions, as he goes beyond protecting slavery to criticizing the very foundations of capitalist society. While 'Cannibals All!' reflects the divisive perspectives of its time, it stands as a historical file, presenting insights into the complicated socio-political panorama of the pre-Civil War era. Fitzhugh’s thoughts, though controversial and essentially at odds with cutting-edge moral requirements, offer a lens thru which to look at the highbrow underpinnings of seasoned-slavery arguments in the 19th century.
