That was the old way of referring to slavery. The word "peculiar" today means strange or odd, but in the 1800s, it meant uniquely one's own. Keeping slaves was unique to the southern United States, and rather than just saying that, people had some polite expressions that did not sound as harsh and covered up how brutal slavery was.
The "Peculiar Institution" was and remains a common euphemism for slavery in the U.S. southern slave states. People to this day will speak of "the South's Peculiar Institution" as a way of referring to slavery without actually using the word "slavery."
Our) peculiar institution
i don't know about the following but a well known euphemism for slavery is the "peculiar institution"
"The peculiar institution" set the South apart from the rest of the country.
The phrase "Peculiar Institution" was coined by American abolitionists in the early 19th century, primarily to describe slavery in the Southern United States. It was used to highlight the unique and morally problematic nature of slavery compared to other forms of labor and social structures. The term aimed to draw attention to the contradictions between the ideals of freedom and democracy and the reality of slavery in the nation.
Some Southern colonies called negro chattel slavery by the name "peculiar institution".
peculiar institution
The "Peculiar Institution" was and remains a common euphemism for slavery in the U.S. southern slave states. People to this day will speak of "the South's Peculiar Institution" as a way of referring to slavery without actually using the word "slavery."
Our) peculiar institution
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The "Peculiar Institution" was and remains a common euphemism for slavery in the U.S. southern slave states. People to this day will speak of "the South's Peculiar Institution" as a way of referring to slavery without actually using the word "slavery."
Our peculiar institution was a euphemism for slavery and the economic ramifications of it in the American South. The proper use of the expression is always possessive. It was popular during the first half of the 19th century as the word "slavery" was no longer proper to use.
John Calhoun defended the institution of slavery by refering to it as the South's "peculiar institution" in 1828 and it came into common usage in the 1830s as both abolitionists and defenders of slavery used the term to make their points.
i don't know about the following but a well known euphemism for slavery is the "peculiar institution"
"The peculiar institution" set the South apart from the rest of the country.
The institution of slavery was referred to as the peculiar situation in antebellum USA. The reason to forego any advantages were two fold. One was that it was immoral. Secondly it would become obsolete and a poor investment of capital.
Slavery was referred to as the "peculiar institution" because slavery was the exact contradiction to what America was founded on. America built its foundation on the notion that all men were created equally and had equal rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To enslave an individual would mean to deny them these basic human rights, undermining the very foundation of America.