Document 2b
thomas r. dew defended slavery in a debate in the virginia legislature.
according to the census of 1830, there were approximately 470,000 slaves in virginia. the
average value of each slave is about $200. thus the total value of the slave population in virginia
in 1830 was $94,000,000. allowing for the increase since, the present value of slaves in virginia
is about $100,000,000. the assessed value of all the houses and lands in the state amounts to
$206,000,000. do not these simple statistics speak volumes upon the subject? it is seriously
recommended to the state of virginia that she give up her slaves. in other words, virginia is
expected to sacrifice one-half of her total worth!
it is, in truth, the slave labor in virginia which gives value to the soil and to her economy.
take this away and you ruin her. remove the slave population from the state and it is absolutely
safe to say that on the day this happens, virginia will become a “waste howling wilderness.” “the
grass will be seen growing in the streets and the foxes peeping from their holes.”…
source: thomas r. dew, review of the debate in the virginia legislature of 1831 and 1832,
in martin w. sandler et al., the people make a nation, allyn and bacon, 1971
according to thomas r. dew, what is one reason slavery was important to virginia?