Chapter 12. Essential Questions How did northerners’ image of the Old South differ from the way...
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Transcript of Chapter 12. Essential Questions How did northerners’ image of the Old South differ from the way...
Chapter 12
Essential Questions How did northerners’ image of the Old
South differ from the way in which southerners saw themselves?
What major social divisions segmented the white South?
How did slavery affect social relations in the white South?
What conditions in the Old South made it possible for a distinctive culture to develop among the slaves, and what were the predominant features of that culture?
King Cotton
1790 South’s economy stagnant- tobacco not prosperous
By 1850 South was the “Cotton Kingdom” from South Carolina to Texas
“No power on earth dares to make war upon it. Cotton is king.”
- Senator James Henry Hammond
South Carolina
A History of Slavery 1619
First blacks arrive at Jamestown, NOT slaves
1640s-1650s View of using black “free” workers instead
of indentured servants seen as an advantage
tobacco 1660s
Word “Slave” appears 1676
VA, MD, NC, SC legalize slavery New “black codes”
1739 Stono Rebellion in SC = harsh new slave laws
1776-1789 Blacks participate in revolution Not included in Declaration or Constitution 3/5th compromise
1790s Haitian Revolt Toussaint L’Ouverture 60,000 dead, republic of free slaves
1800s Nature of slavery changes
Age of Jackson Rise of Abolitionism
○ William Lloyd Garrison○ Quakers○ Sarah and Angelica Grimke○ Sojourner Truth○ Frederick Douglas
1900
Lure of Cotton
South hadWarm climate, wet springs/summers, dry autumns
AdvantagesDidn’t require expensive irrigation or costly
machinery (unlike sugar)Profitable on any scaleCompatible with production of corn
SlaveryGave an advantageDoubled 1810-1830
Diverges North
urbanizing South
Rural Banks existed only to finance
plantations Lack of industries Southern factories small Slavery
○ Limited investment in Industry○ South profitable, no reason to
change Rejection of compulsory
education○ High illiteracy○ Middle class had “no need”
Upper South Tobacco, vegetable, hemp,
wheat
Lower South Sugar, Cotton cash crops
United Many settlers of lower south
from upper south All white southerners benefitted
from 3/5ths clause All stung by abolitionist criticism
of slavery Economic ties
Social Groups 4 main groups
Planters○ + 20 slaves○ Plantation society
“little nation itself” Plantation mistresses
○ High degree of division of labor○ Most wealth in slaves○ Psychological strains
Slave mistresses Mulatto children
Slaveholders (small)○ -5 slaves○ Not all farmers○ Conflicting loyalties + ambitions○ Younger than planters
Yeoman○ Family farmers, livestock○ Non-slaveholders○ Largest group of white southern
males○ Subsistence farmers
Reason for lack of industry in south○ Piedmont region○ “poor white trash”
Pine barrens○ Non-slaveholders○ Squatted on land○ Self-reliant, independent○ choice
North Carolina Yeomen
Conflict Planters
Whigs Needed credit Urban commercial allies
Yeomen Democrats Economically self-sufficient Economically dependent
Unity Whites didn’t work for whites Lived in different geographic
areas
Slavery Decreasing slave-holding
population “Impending Crisis of the South”
1857 Civil War:
○ Wanted to own slaves○ Racism○ No one knew where slaves
would go
Pro-Slavery Compared to Athenian slavery “wage slavery” in North Bible- St. Paul Natural submission Church supported slavery racism
Violence in Old South Dirty fighting
Eye gouging Ear biting Murder rate 10X that in North
Code of Honor/dueling Conception of “good society”
diverged more from northern egalitarian and individualistic idea
Southern pride○ Especially in front of slaves
Sensitivity to reputation How gentlemen dealt without
results○ Law was cowardly, shameful○ Only “gentlemen” dueled
Southern Evangelicals and White values Baptists, Methodists,
Presbyterians Against dueling Reached out to women, slaves,
poor Soon absorbed gentry values
and vice versa○ Ex. Stonewall Jackson
The “Peculiar Institution” An institution unique to southern society North depended on it too
Cotton helped finance industrial development, internal improvements Cotton carried to New York, Europe Northern bankers financed plantations, insured slave property Northern factories manufactured cotton into cloth
Slavery concentrated in areas with most fertile soil and easiest access to national and international markets
2nd middle passage 1808 international slave trade abolished Internal trade developed
“White Gold” Manufactured in Mass, Great Britain, France, Russia Most important US export by 1803 Eve of civil war represented over HALF of total value of US exports 1860: economic investment in slaves exceeded value of nation’s
factories, railroads, and banks COMBINED
Life under Slavery Oppressive institution Appropriated the life and
labor of one race for the material benefit of another
Plantation SystemSignificant changes between
1780 and 1830Paternalist ethosAverage Slave:
○ 1700: male, 20s, African, no real family life
○ 1830: male or female, spoke English, born in US, family life
Work and Discipline of Plantation SlavesTypical to work on large
farm, plantationRoutineSlave drivers, overseersSocial hierarchy of slaves
○ House vs field slaves
Slave FamilyPlanters encouraged
weddings for procreationBuying/selling disrupted
familyTight-family bonds, kinship
Life under Slavery Longevity, Diet, Health
Lived longer and reproduced faster in US
Why?○ Gender ratio equalized○ Plenty of food○ Great immunities
Slaves off Plantations Greatest opportunities
○ Laborers, extractive industries Shortage of labor in
nonagricultural sectors○ Lumbering, stevedores, black
engineers, iron workers Tolerable working conditions
Free Blacks More likely to live in cities
○ 1/3 in Upper South○ ½ in Lower South
Why?○ Specialized economies
Carpenters, coopers, barbers, traders
○ Fraternal orders○ churches
Rate of free blacks slowed after 1810○ Nat Turner Rebellion 1831
Exceptions○ New Orleans, Natchez
Contradictions○ Mixed blacks
Life under Slavery Slave Resistance
Lots of talk, little action Nat Turner 1831
○ Only main significant rebellion Why lack of rebellion?
○ Formidable white presence in south
○ Feared risking family ties Escape to North
○ Fugitive slaves○ Underground railroad
Reality○ Escape not reality
“Non-violent resistance”○ Poisoning ○ Leaving tools out○ Not working hard
Amistad 1839 53 slaves that took control of a
slave ship Forced navigator to steer it to
Africa Opposition
○ President Van Buren wants to return it to Africa
○ Abolitionists want Supreme Court
Decision○ John Quincy Adams defense○ Captives released to Africa
Consequences○ Creole 1841○ British gave refuge
Emergence of African-American Culture
Language Pidgin
○ No native speakers○ Learned on slave ships○ Contained African words○ No genders, no instead of not
Gullah Religion
Early slaves mainly practiced Native African religions or Islam
Very naturalistic/spiritual Accepted Christianity
○ Water- baptism sacrament○ Like revivalists
Cane Ridge, KY Highlighted contradictions Protestant missionaries
○ conversion = obedience
Music and Dance Culture extremely expressive Religious services
○ Singing○ Dancing○ spirituals
Rhythm clapping○ Patting juba
Instruments○ banjo
Questions Given that by 1860 the economic investment
represented by the slave population exceeded the value of the nation’s factories, railroads, and banks combined, explain how important slavery was to the national economy and the emergence of the United States as a great power.
Why did many white southerners support slavery even when they did not actually own any slaves?
What forms of slave resistance were practiced in the American South?
Slavery Jigsaw Activity
1st questions:What was the most interesting thing you
discovered about this subject's life?What was their overall experience like?Did they discuss daily life or family life?Does their narrative reinforce or challenge
your conceptions of slavery?
Jigsaw Activity
2nd QuestionsWhat aspects of slavery were shared in
common by these men and women?What was working life like for them?What major differences do you see?Is there an overall commonality to these
narratives in the description of their experiences?
Planters Small Slaveholders
Yeomen Pine Barrens
Industrialization
Political Parties
slavery
Education
Honor Code
Slave Family