As part of my work on the slavery and the roots of anti-slavery, I came across this very encouraging quote:

"With the growing popularity of Scottish and Manchesterian political economy, notably Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations (1776), an increasing segment of public opinion saw slavery as a fetter on economic and social progress." p. 71

Fox-Genovese, Elizabeth and Eugene D. Genovese. 2005. The Mind of the Master Class: History and Faith in the Southern Slaveholders' Worldview. new York: Cambridge University Press.

Have you ever wondered why economics is called "the dismal science?" David Levy and Sandra Peart explain why. A future Econ 323 research paper assignment might be "pick an 18th or 19th century economist and analyze everything he ever said about slavery."