"To be a slaveholder meant one had to regard the African American as inferior in every way"

In this quote, historian Stephen Ambrose is highlighting the frame of mind of slaveholders during the time of slavery in America. He is specifying that in order to be a slaveholder, one needed to believe that African Americans were inferior to white people in every aspect. This belief was deeply deep-rooted in the minds of slaveholders and was utilized to validate the terrible and inhumane treatment of enslaved individuals. It likewise shows the deeply deep-rooted bigotry and prejudice that existed in society at that time. Ambrose's words work as a reminder of the dehumanizing impacts of slavery and the damaging effect it had on both the enslaved individuals and the slaveholders themselves.