essential question : what was life like in the antebellum south? rq ch 10b (328-340)
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Essential Question : What was life like in the antebellum South? RQ Ch 10B (328-340). The Southern Antebellum Economy: King Cotton & Slavery. Ante means “before”. Bellum means “the war”. The Rise of “King Cotton”. Southern cotton fueled both the English & American Industrial Revolutions. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Essential QuestionEssential Question:–What was life like in the
antebellum South?
RQ Ch 10B (328-340)RQ Ch 10B (328-340)
The Southern The Southern Antebellum Economy:Antebellum Economy:
King Cotton & Slavery
Ante means “before”
Bellum means “the war”
The Rise of “King Cotton”“King Cotton” was the dynamic
force driving the American economy from 1790-1840:–The South provided ¾ of
world’s cotton–Southern cotton stimulated the
growth of Northern textile industry, shipping, & marketing
–Slave population grew 300%
Southern cotton fueled both the English & American Industrial Revolutions
The Value of Cotton Exports as a Percentage of All U.S. Exports
The Rise of “King Cotton”The introduction of short-staple
cotton strengthened the economy–Cotton could now be grown
anywhere in the South –The cotton gincotton gin (1793) made
seed extraction easy –The potential for profits led to a
cotton boom & the expansion of slavery in the South
White Southerners perceived their economic interests to be tied to slavery
“Southern way of life”
Slaves Using the Cotton Gin
Southern Agriculture Cotton expansion led to “Alabama Fever” from 1816 to 1820
Southern expansion boomed again from 1832 to 1838 into Mississippi, Louisiana, & Arkansas
…and again in the mid-1850s into Texas
Slave Concentration, 1820Slave Concentration, 1820Slave Concentration by 1860
The “Black Belt”
The “Black Belt”
The Internal Slave TradeThe Upper South grew tobacco &
was less dependent on cotton & slave labor
As slave prices rose, Upper South developed an internalinternal slave trade to provide “surplus” slaves to the Lower South
Virginia, Maryland, & Kentucky began to take on characteristics of the industrializing North & became divided in their support of slavery
Slavery in a Changing WorldAntebellum regional differences:
–By 1820, all Northern states abolished slavery
–The South lagged behind the North in cities, industry, & railroads
–Southern population grew slower than in the North & West
By 1860, only 15% of U.S. factories were in the South
By 1860, only 35% of railroads were in
the South
The South lagged by choicechoice because these were risky investments, but cotton was safe
Southern politicians feared being permanently outvoted in Congress
Antebellum Southern Society:
WhitesWhites
The Divided Society of the Old South
American slavery was deeply rooted in the Southern economy; but slavery divided the South:
–By “caste”—black or white
–By “class”—ownership of slaves
–By region—slavery was more deeply entrenched along the “Black Belt” from GA to TX
“Slave-ocracy”(plantation owners)
The “Plain Folk”(small slave-owners & yeoman farmers)
6,000,000
Black Freemen
Black Slaves
250,000
U.S. population in 1850 was 23,000,0009,500,000 lived in the South (40%)
3,200,000
Southern Society in 1850
Southern White Class Structure, 1860
White Society in SouthOnly a small percentage of whites
owned large plantations:–Less than 1% of the white
population owned 50+ slaves–Most whites were yeomen
farmers who supported slavery because they hired slaves or felt reassured that there was a lower class than them
Small SlaveholdersOnly about 25% of the Southern
white population owned slaves –88% of slave owners had fewer
than 20 slaves (most 1-2 slaves) –But slave conditions were worse
because slaves shared their master's poverty
–Most slaves would have preferred the economic stability & kinship of the plantation
If these were the
living conditions for slaves
on a plantation, what were conditions
like on small
farms?
Yeomen FarmersAbout 75% of Southern whites
were small, yeoman farmers who did not own slaves:–Most yeomen resented the
aristocratic planters but hoped to become wealthy planters
–Many saw slavery as a way of keeping blacks “in their place”
–Many saw abolition as a threat to their Southern way of life
Antebellum Southern Society:
SlavesSlaves
The World of Southern BlacksWhile very few whites were
plantation owners, most slaves lived on plantations:–90% of slaves lived on farms in
which owner had 20+ slaves–15% of slaves served as “house
slaves” (domestic servants)–10% of slaves worked in
industry, lumbering, construction
2.4% of slaves worked on large plantations with 200+ slaves
Distribution of Slave Labor, 1850
55%
15%10%
10%
10%
Cotton
Domestic Work
Rice or Sugar
Tobacco
Mining, Industry, or Construction
50% of all slaves lived in the
50% of all slaves lived in the
Black Belt (“Cotton Belt”)
Black Belt (“Cotton Belt”)
Slaves Picking Cottonon a Mississippi Plantation
Slaves Picking Cottonon a Mississippi Plantation“Hauling the Whole Week’s
Pickings”William Henry Brown, 1842
“Hauling the Whole Week’s Pickings”
William Henry Brown, 1842
Slaves Workingin a Sugar-Boiling House, 1823
Slaves Workingin a Sugar-Boiling House, 1823
Some slaves could hire out their overtime hours for pay (“Underground Economy”)
Slave Families & CommunityNormal family life was difficult:
–Families were vulnerable to breakup by their masters
–On large plantations, slaves were able to retain their African cultures & were mostly part of two-parent families
–But on smaller farms, extended families provided support or “adoption” of unrelated slaves
A Slave Family
African American ReligionBlack Christianity was the center
of African-American cultureRichard Allen created African African
Methodist Episcopal (AME) Methodist Episcopal (AME) ChurchChurch but was largely composed of free & urban African-Americans
On plantations, whites supervised religious messages, but the “real” slave religion was practiced at night in secret; preached about the inevitable day of liberation
Supervised Plantation Religion
Free Blacks in the Old SouthSouthern free blacks were
severely restricted:– Had to register with the state &
carry “freedom” papers – Were excluded from certain jobs– Subjected to re-enslavement &
fraudulent “recapture”By 1860 some states proposed
laws to force free blacks to leave the state or be enslaved
Defending Slavery?
Defending Slavery Southern planters feared revolts &
the growth of abolitionism & used a new defense slavery:– It was sanctioned in the Bible –Constitution did not prohibit it –Slavery was a “natural” way of
life for “inferior” Africans–Slavery was more humane than
Northern industrial exploitation
Pro-Slavery PropagandaPro-Slavery Propaganda
Defending Slavery Proslavery Southerners protected
South against anti-slavery ideas:–Feared abolitionist propaganda
would inspire slave rebellions or inspire the yeoman to support abolition
– Increased restrictions on blacks by making it illegal to teach slaves to read & write
–Banned church services & meetings without supervision
Slavery in the NorthSlavery in the North:Early Emancipation MovementsBefore the American Revolution, slaves were present in each of the
13 American colonies
In 1787, the Articles of Confederation
outlawed slavery in the northwest
By 1804, nine states emancipated slaves or adopted gradual emancipation plans
In 1808, the USA & Britain in outlawed the
African slave trade
In 1817, a group of ministers & politicians formed the American Colonization Society
to resettle free blacks in West Africa
Slave muzzle
Anti-Slave Arguments
Leg Irons
Slave ID Tag
Resistance & RebellionThe most common form of slave
rebellion was passive resistance:–Work slowdowns & sabotage –Poisoning of masters
Running away was common among slaves; Runaway slaves were aided by the Underground Underground RailroadRailroad
Quilt Patterns Showed Secret Messages
The Monkey Wrench pattern told slaves to gather up tools
and prepare to flee
The Drunkard Path design warned escapees not to follow a straight route
Resistance and RebellionBetween 1800-1831, 3 major
slave revolts occurred:– Gabriel ProsserGabriel Prosser (1800) planned
a violent march on Richmond– Denmark VeseyDenmark Vesey (1822) created
an extensive plot to arm & free slaves in SC (no white deaths)
– Nat TurnerNat Turner (1831) led a band of slaves from farm to farm & killed 60 whites
At the last minute, the plan failed, Prosser was captured, & no whites died
A change discovery revealed the plot & no whites died
Slave Rebellions in the South:Nat Turner, 1831
Slave Rebellions in the South:Nat Turner, 1831
ConclusionsConclusions: Worlds in Conflict
ConclusionsThe post-1793 cotton boom
transformed the American economy & Southern society:–Cotton facilitated westward
expansion & the entrenchment of African slavery in the South
– In the 1830s, the South became increasingly defensive about perceived Northern attempts to end slavery
Discussion Questions
How did American agriculture change from the colonial era to the Era of Good Feelings?
Which early 19th century change will have the greater impact on American history: Eli Whitney’s cotton gin OR Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase? Explain