Christianity and Slavery in the Old South

gious instruction for their slaves. Theyrnencouraged Southern legislators to repealrnthe literacy laws, which forbadernteaching slaves to read, for by denyingrnthem that skill, they were denying themrnthe Bible. They also called for the legalrnrecognition of slave marriages and slavernfamihes so that planters could no longerrnbreak up de facto families. Genovese recognizesrnthat . . .