Ch.12 THE SOUTH

1
Ch.12THE SOUTH KING COTTON

• COTTON GIN REVIVES SOUTHERN ECONOMY
• SLAVERY WAS DYING OUT LATE 1700s
• INVENTION ALLOWS FOR FEWER SLAVES TO CLEAN COTTON
  AND MORE TO PICK IT.
• DEMAND FOR SLAVES EXPLODES

2
SOUTHERN SOCIETY CLASSES OF PEOPLE

• PLANTER
• 1/50 OWNED 50 OR MORE SLAVES
• ONLY 25 OF SOUTHERNERS ACTUALLY OWN SLAVES
• 1 OF SOUTHERNERS ACTUALLY OWN MORE THAN 100
  SLAVES

3
YEOMAN

• 75 OF SOUTHERN POPULATION
• SMALL FARMERS / FEW ACRES
• FEW SLAVES 1-5
• MANY WORK BESIDE THEIR SLAVES

4
POOR WHITES

• NO SLAVES / MAY RENT AT HARVEST TIME
• UNEDUCATED
• RENT THEIR LAND
• SUBSISTENCE FARMERS-ONLY GROW ENOUGH FOOD TO
  SURVIVE

5
FREE BLACKS

• 1860- 200,000 FREE BLACKS IN SOUTH-MOSTLY
  MARYLAND AND DELAWARE
• NO VOTING RIGHTS / TRAVEL RESTRICTED
• SOME SKILLED ARTISANS-BLACKSMITHS-MASONS (BRICK
  LAYERS)
• 1860 CHARLESTON, SC, 40 TAILORS AND 75 OF
  CARPENTERS ARE FREE BLACKS

6
MOST SOUTHERNERS SUPPORT OF SLAVERY

• OUT OF FEAR
• BIBLE SAYS SO
• ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE
• CLAIMS THAT NORTHERN WORKERS JUST AS WORSE OFF AS
  SLAVES
• BELIEF THAT BLACKS ARE INFERIOR

7
KING COTTON PRODUCTION

• 1791-2 MILLION POUNDS PRODUCED
• 1860-1 BILLION POUNDS PRODUCED
• U.S PRODUCES HALF OF THE WORLDS COTTON
• COTTON IS HALF OF ALL U.S. EXPORTS
• SOUTH TRADES COTTON TO EUROPE AND NORTHERN
  FACTORIES
• RICE, SUGAR CANE AND WHEAT OTHER CASH CROPS

8
SOUTHERN INDUSTRY

• LIMITED INDUSTRY
• LITTLE INCENTIVE
• AGRICULTURAL PROFITS PREVENT INVESTMENT IN
  INDUSTRY
• LITTLE INCENTIVE TO EMBRACE NEW IDEAS

9
THE SLAVE SYSTEMTWO TYPES OF SLAVES

• FIELD SLAVES- WORK IN FIELDS PICKING COTTON
• MEN, WOMEN, CHILDREN ALL AGES
• 2. HOUSE SLAVES -BUTLER, COOKS NURSES. LIVING
  CONDITIONS BETTER THAN FIELD SLAVES
• SOME SLAVES PAID OR ALLOWED TO WORK ODD JOBS FOR
  PAY
• SOME PURCHASE THEIR OWN FREEDON

10
SLAVE CODES

• LAWS DESIGNED TO CONTROL SLAVES ENFORCED BY
  WHITES.
• TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
• RESTRICTIONS ON BLACKS GATHERING IN SMALL NUMBERS
• FORBIDDEN TO LEARN TO READ AND WRITE

11
SLAVE CULTURE

• RELIGION VERY IMPORTANT
• MOST CHRISTIANS
• BELIEVED THEY WERE GODS CHOSEN PEOPLE
• EMOTIONAL CHRISTIAN SONGS (SPIRITUALS) BLENDED
  EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN MUSIC

12
Passive Resistance

• Slaves resisted in many ways. Some were passive
  (non-violent)
• Slaves broke tools, refused to work when the
  overseer wasnt looking
• Sang songs with secret messages of escape
• Sabotaged equipment, poisoned master and overseer
• If slaves were caught, he/she would be beaten

13
Slave Uprisings

• Most SUCCESSFUL slave rebellions are rare. Why?
• Most violent up-rising 1831 by Nat Turner
• Turner and his men kill 60 whites
• South imposes more strict Slave codes to control
  slave populations