Question

Term used by opponents of slavery to refer to the hierarchical power of slaveholding classes in the south?

Answer 1

Planter Aristocracy

Planter Aristocracy also called Southern Aristocracy and Planter Elite refers to the society in the Old South describing the classes: the upper class which consisted the wealthy planter with many slaves, the middle class which included common merchants, farmers and some professionals, and the lower class which consisted of the poor whites. They were the oligarchs that widened the gap between rich and poor as the aristocrats control the government.