What term was used by anti-slavery advocates to refer to the political power held by slave owners?

The term "Slave Power" was utilized by anti-slavery advocates to describe the disproportionate political power and influence wielded by slave owners in the United States, particularly in the years leading up to the Civil War. This phrase highlighted the belief that Southern slave owners had an outsized impact on national policies and politics, often at the expense of free states and the rights of free labor.

Advocates of abolition argued that this "Slave Power" undermined democratic ideals and perpetuated the institution of slavery, as slaveholders used their political clout to protect and expand slavery. The discourse surrounding "Slave Power" became a rallying cry for those opposing slavery, signifying not just a condemnation of the institution itself but also a critique of the political system that supported and sustained it. Through this lens, it was seen as a threat to liberty and an impediment to social progress and equality.