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Unit 3Antebellum Mississippi

Chapters 4 & 51 c, & f

+Brief History of How We Became a State Became a territory in 1787- Natchez was the capital Population grew, constitution was written State officials were elected Congress approved our constitution Statehood achieved December 1817!

Stated:

-Slavery was okay

-white 21 yr old male property owners could vote

-state lawmakers had to own 100’s of acres of land

+Antebellum Period: 1817-1845

+Economy

-1830s the Choctaw & Chickasaw were forced by the US gov’t to give up their lands in MS-Led to a large # of whites coming to the state (Flush Times)

-more whites=more slaves coming-made MS more dependent on cotton!!

-”King Cotton”- the only crop most MS farmers grew-high demand for cotton required a high # of slaves to plant & harvest

+“King Cotton”

Cotton gin- 1793(Eli Whitney) In 1795, it was introduced to NatchezWho built the first cotton gin in MS??Soon, cotton became the primary cash crop

in the South!Earned the nickname “King Cotton”-it’s

importance to MS

+Life in Antebellum Mississippi

+Cotton Culture

- Plantations (100s of acres)- Cotton dominated the economy in MS-

“King Cotton”- Social & political affairs were planned

around the cotton season!

+Slave Culture More slaves than whites in 1860

-field slaves (largest group)

-house slaves (treated better overall)

-town slaves (worked & lived in town & PAID) Had to abide by slave codes

-permission to leave, buy, sell, or trade

-couldn’t learn to read or write

-usually punished by whipping or lashing

-rewards: hunting, fishing, visiting privileges, new clothes, extra rations

+Free Blacks1860: 773 free blacks in MSHad to carry a document stating they

were freeWilliam Johnson-barber-wealthy land owner-killed in 1861 by a neighbor

+Opinions on Slavery

In 1818, most Mississippians felt that slavery was evil!

Since the cotton industry continued to grow, citizens felt it was a “necessary evil”

By 1836, most Mississippians felt our state had to have slavery & hated anyone who spoke out against it!!

+National Events

+ MS Economy

• VI.• Prosperous period- everyone is doing great, making money!• “easy credit”- giving loans to pretty much anyone!• “specie”-gold or silver• Andrew Jackson’s policies led to depression in MS• Planters Bank- Natchez “pet bank”• More $ in circulation= money is worth LESS (less valuable)• Used to buy federal landGovernment then decided…• 1. land must be paid for in “specie”, 2. banks couldn’t provide

the “specie”, 3. banks failed!= Panic of 1837• Resulted in the depression of 1837-1841 :Gov’t took back land,

cotton prices fell, Banks disappeared until after the Civil War

Native Americans in Antebellum MS

• Assimilation??• Native Americans were mostly against assimilation• Reason:• After the war of 1812, the gov’t gave up assimilation• Treaties- got the Native Americans to go west of the MS River

& give land to the US gov’t1.Treaty of Ft. Adams-1801 Cherokee2. Treaty of Mt. Dexter-1805 Choctaw/ 4 mil acres3. Treaty of Doak’s Stand-1820 Choctaw/ 5 mil acres4. Treaty of Dancing Rabbit-1830 Choctaw/ 10 mil acres4. Treaty of Pontotoc Creek-1832 Chickasaw/ north MS• “Trail of Tears”-path of the Native Americans to OK-because of the large number that died on the way to OK-died of disease, starvation, weather conditions