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