Slavery in the American South

Antebellum Slavery•Approximately 25% of white Southerners owned slaves•Only ~3% owned more than 20 slavesWHY THEN DID 75% OF NON-SLAVEHOLDING WHITES SUPPORT SLAVERY?•Their own social status protected by system - They were free and white…others were not•Goal to achieve

Slavery and African Americans in the North

•Slavery disappeared in the North by 1820•Still prejudice, discrimination, segregation•Rhode Island and Pennsylvania had laws prohibiting free blacks from voting•Barred from public facilities•Segregated schools and hospitals

•Majority of African Americans were extremely poor.•Industrial Revolution brings unskilled factory work and decreases agriculture from 70% to 40%

Slavery in the South•1793—Eli Whitney invented cotton gin; led to demand for more slaves•Cotton—labor-intensive crop overtaking tobacco as the South’s largest cash crop (British textile industry)•Removal of Native Americans from Southeast US opened up more land for cotton production•Less industry b/c agriculture so profitable

Life Under Slavery•Worked hard all day (sun up to sun down);

earned no money; little hope of freedom•One of worst fears was being resold to another

planter and being separated from loved ones•All ages: •Young slaves carried buckets of water•At age 10-12 in fields•Older would do light chores (less physically

taxing)•Slave hierarchy: skin color; use of some slaves

(ex driver’s) to keep others in control.

• "And now," said Legree, "come here, you Tom. You see, I telled ye I didn't buy ye jest for the common work; I mean to promote ye, and make a driver of ye; and to-night ye may jest as well begin to get yer hand in. Now, ye jest take this yer gal and flog her; ye've seen enough on't to know how." I beg Mas'r's pardon," said Tom; "hopes Mas'r won't set me at that. It's what I an't used to, -- never did, -- and can't do, no way possible." "Ye'll larn a pretty smart chance of things ye never did know, before I've done with ye!" said Legree, taking up a cowhide, and striking Tom a heavy blow cross the cheek, and following up the infliction by a shower of blows. "There!" he said, as he stopped to rest; "now, will ye tell me ye can't do it?" "Yes, Mas'r," said Tom, putting up his hand, to wipe the blood, that trickled down his face. "I'm willin' to work, night and day, and work while there's life and breath in me; but this yer thing I can't feel it right to do; -- and, Mas'r, I never shall do it, -- never!"

Life Under Slavery

•Housing: log huts; 10-12 people in single room; beds were made of old rags, straw•Food: mostly cornmeal, pork fat, and molasses; some slaves allowed to have a garden•Family Life: slave marriages were encouraged, but not legally recognized (so could more easily sell husband or wife away); death of planter often split families, slaves on plantation=>extended family

Life Under Slavery•Fused African and American elements•Practiced African customs: music, dance, folk stories (oral history)•While followers of Islam and assorted tribal religions, most converted to Christianity•Spirituals: “Amazing Grace”, “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel”

• Didn’t my Lord deliver DanielDeliver Daniel, deliver DanielDidn’t my Lord deliver Daniel An’ why not-a every man.

• He delivered Daniel from de lion’s denJonah from de belly of de whaleAn’ de Hebrew chillun from de fiery furnaceAn’ why not every man

• De moon run down in a purple streamDe sun forbear to shineAn’ every star disappearKing Jesus shall-a be mineDe win’ blows eas’ an’ de win’ blows wes’It blows like a judgement dayAn’ every po’ sinner dat never did pray’llBe glad o pray dat day

• Deliver Daniel, deliver DanielDidn’t my Lord deliver DanielAn’ why not-a every man.I see my foot on de Gospel shipAn’ de ship begin to sailIt landed me over on Canaan’s shoreAn’ I’ll never come back no mo’

• Can’t you see it’s comingCan’t you see it’s comingCan’t you see it’s coming…

Life Under Slavery •Resistance to Slavery•Active: rebellion (Nat Turner); escaping

(Underground Railroad); vandalism - setting fires, breaking tools*mostly escaped to find relatives or escape punishment•Passive: worked at slow pace; pretended to be sick*regardless=punishment

•Slave Codes• Laws in South that controlled enslaved people•Could not assemble in large groups, leave

plantation without a written pass (Fiddler on way back from slave auction in Roots), be taught to read or write

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROADThe escape network was "underground" in the sense of being an underground resistance. It was known as a "railroad" by way of the use of rail terminology in the code. The Underground Railroad consisted of meeting points, secret routes, transportation, and safe houses, and personal assistance provided by abolitionist sympathizers. Participants generally organized in small, independent groups to maintain secrecy. Slaves would move north along the route from one way station to the next. "Conductors" on the railroad came from various backgrounds and included free-born blacks, white abolitionists, former slaves (either escaped or manumitted), and Native Americans. Church clergy and congregations often played a role, especially the Quakers, Congregationalists, and Reformed Presbyterians as well as certain sects of mainstream denominations such as branches of the Methodist church and American Baptists. Without the presence and support of free black residents, there would have been almost no chance for fugitive slaves to pass into freedom unmolested.To reduce the risk of infiltration, many people associated with the Underground Railroad knew only their part of the operation and not of the whole scheme. "Conductors" led or transported the fugitives from station to station. Slaves traveled at night, about 10–20 miles (15–30 km) to each station. They would stop at the so-called "stations" or "depots" during the day and rest. The stations were often located in barns, under church floors, or in hiding places in caves and hollowed-out riverbanks. While the fugitives rested at one station, a message was sent to the next station to let the station master know the runaways were on their way.The resting spots where the runaways could sleep and eat were run by "station masters". "Stockholders" gave money or supplies for assistance. Using Biblical references, fugitives referred to Canada as the "Promised Land" and the Ohio River as the "River Jordan", which marked the boundary between slave states and free states.

Slavery-Miscellaneous Facts

•Only ¼ of Southerners owned in slaves in 1860•NC ranked 7th out of 15 slave states in population of slaves•1808=slave trade banned•1835=NC Constitution disenfranchised (took the right to vote away from) FREE blacks•Mulatto=one white parent & one black parent•WAS SLAVERY COST EFFICIENT?•Cost of slave, food, shelter, insurance, medical treatment, price of runaways (posters/bounty hunters)