How did the South's perception of and argument about slavery change between 1790 and 1850?

Between 1790 and 1850, the South’s perception of and argument about slavery underwent significant changes. In the early years of the United States, many Southerners viewed slavery as a necessary evil that would eventually be abolished. However, by the mid-1800s, the South had become increasingly dependent on slavery as an economic institution, and many Southerners began to defend slavery as a positive good. The defenders of slavery used a variety of arguments to justify the institution, including economic, religious, and historical arguments. They argued that slavery was essential to the Southern economy and that it provided a stable labor force that was necessary for the production of crops such as cotton, tobacco, and rice. They also argued that slavery was consistent with biblical teachings and that it had existed throughout history. Some defenders of slavery even argued that it was a humane institution that benefited both slaves and slaveholders. However, these arguments were increasingly challenged by abolitionists in the North, who argued that slavery was a moral evil that violated the principles of freedom and equality enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. The debate over slavery ultimately led to the Civil War, which resulted in the abolition of slavery and the end of the Southern plantation economy.