How did salve owners justify slavery?

Slave owners generally justified slavery by twisting the meaning of things in The Bible. This is sad, because it was usually only the white wealthy males who owned slaves that could read, so much of the illiterate south could only trust the preachers, as they could not read the Bible for themselves. This could be a big reason why so many southerners thought slavery was right, and fought for it. Others, however, knew the full evils of the actions and just didn't care. It was some one else's life for their gain, which is just part of being human; such as the Germans who kept quiet and denied the existence of the concentration camps for the small gain of society acceptance.

Specifically, these unscupulous preachers promoted the idea that Blacks were animals, and as such had no souls. No souls, no claim on Christain charity. Those seeking to stifle an unquiet conscience latched on to this like a lifesaver. Only a very few quieted their conscience with humane treatment of slaves, then passed it off as good husbandry of their assests, like livestock.Slavery remains our National Badge of Shame to this day.