US in the Mid 19th century

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US in the Mid 19th century

• 1.Political SystemFounding fathers, federal
  government,sovereignty,second party system,
  tariffs, party platforms, limited
  government,political patronage, spoils system,

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US in the mid 19th century

• 2.Economic system-American dream, womens status,
  cult of domesticity, abolitionism, temperance,
  people of plenty,
  
• Demographic issues, western expansion,
  agriculture,transport,industrialization,
  urbanization
  

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US in the Mid 19th century

• 3.Sectionalism- What were the main differences
  between the north and the south?
  
• -US never particularly united, some similarities
  (language, religion,legal system,celebration of
  the same history etc)
  
• -differences economic-civil war as a conflict
  between backward, planter dominated agrarian
  south and modern industrialized, egalitarian
  north.Was Texas the dame as Virginia?

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• Sectionalism (cont) Many northssome agriculture,
  some newly industrialized etc.
  
• Was the south economically backward? Cotton ½
  all US exports, Iron works in Richmond 4th in
  nation. Egalitarian north? 10 of popn owned 68
  of wealthalmost exactly the same in the south.
  75 of southerners did not own slaves in 1860.

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US in Mid 19th century

• 3. Sectionalism Planters (5 of popnown 20 or
  more slaves) best land, Eugene Genovese says set
  the tone for southern life, dominated
  politicsreactionary? Fluidity in southern
  societysome Whigs, some democrats
• North-south differences Industry,urbanization,
  immigrants,economic grievances (tariffs benefit
  north,depend on northern credit, needed northern
  transport, King Cotton profits go north.)
  Southern honor (anti-materialism,
  anti-urbanization,gracious ways of life)
  Historian Wyatt Brown southerners highly
  susceptible to insult,more concerned with family
  e.g duelling.

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US in Mid 19th century

• Sectionalism-values education, south more sure
  to hold on to old institutions
  
• peculiar institution slavery

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US in Mid 19th century

• 4. Slavery 17th and 18th century slave trade
  from Africa (slave triangle) 1808, illegal, but 1
  million slaves in US
  
• Pre 18301776 exists in all colonies, important
  in the south for plantation purposes (labor
  intensive) Quakers condemn slavery on moral
  grounds, others say inconsistent with liberal
  enlightenment of liberty. 1787, no slaves in
  north west territory
• 1793-cotton gin revolutionized production-required
  large amounts of unskilled labor- 1787 3/5s
  compromise-Haiti revolution 1790 led to tighter
  social control.

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abolitionists

• Begin with gradual emancipation with
  compensation, encourage slaves to go back to
  Africa-1822 US purchased Liberia-limited
  success.
• William Lloyd Garrison-radical, The Liberator,
  slavery a sin, immediate abolition, idealist 1833
  National Anti Slavery Society ¼ million members
  1838

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abolitionists

• Women and freed slaves e.g Fredrick
  Douglass-petitions to congress-gag rule.
  
• Why so strong in the north? World wide
  phenomenon, religion Catholicism and evangelical
  Protestantism (Second great Awakening
  
• Abolitionists problems in the North only limited
  appeal (De Tocqueville) some fear for economic
  reasons, 1837 riots and Lovejoy murdered, limited
  political success-Liberal party set up, disagree
  over strategy (incite slave revolts?)

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abolitionists

• Problems in the south no support after Nat
  turner revolt 55 whites killed, begin to argue
  that slavery was positive good, Christ did not
  condemn slavery, protected by paternalism, banned
  abolitionist literature- death penaltysouth
  united to protect slavery

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Nature of slavery

• Very little account, fugitive slaves
• 1860 4 million slaves, 1850 1 in 3 southerners
  owned slaves, 1860 50 owned no more than 5
  slaves, most slaves were held by about 10,000
  families
• 1860-1/4 million free blacks in the south, needed
  documents, precarious legal status, no political
  rights--segregation

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Impact of Slavery of southern economy

• Big debate, for whom was slavery profitable?
• Slavery responsible for the souths economic
  decline? See historians Hilton Rowan Helper and
  Ulrich Phillips skills not fully utilized,
  manuel labor brought into disrepute, slaves were
  a poor investment? Slevery imposes rigidity on
  southern mind, adds dependency on cotton

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Impact of slavery on southern economy

• Positive impact Historians K. Stampp- slavery
  was efficient, led to growth/wealth, no
  industrialization can be seen as a sign of
  health, per capita income growth greater than the
  rest of the US, slave agriculture more efficient
  (due to specialization) than other methods.

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Was the Civil War necessary from the perspective
of slavery?

• Cotton prices fall would slavery die out?
• Demand for cotton still there 1860
• Slavery not just an economic institution, but
  used for social control, ensured white
  supremacy/white social hierarchy preserved
  
• South remained committed to the peculiar
  institutionfear of race war/social
  disintegration?
  
• Ultimately prepared to secede from the union.