Southern Society Section 2 A southern cotton plantation

Southern Society and Culture The slave-based agricultural system in the South encouraged the development of a rigid social class system. Poor farmers couldn’t become wealthy. And the wealthy always remained wealthy.

Southern Society and Culture Only a third of white southern families had slaves; fewer families had plantations. Most slaveholders in the South owned fewer than 5 slaves. Most Southerners did not live in big plantation houses like you see here.

Southern Society and Culture Planters were the wealthiest members of society: Males concerned with crops and slave laborers Planters’ wives raised children, ran households, and saw to social duties. Marriages were often arranged. Very few southerners had this many slaves

Southern Plantation

Southern Society and Culture Yeomen were owners of small farms averaging 100 acres. Comprised mostly white southerners Families worked long hours. Some yeomen owned slaves.

Southern Society and Culture Poor whites often lived on land that could not grow crops and were tenant farmers Survived by hunting, fishing, raising small gardens, and doing odd jobs Tenant farmers rented small houses like the one you see here

Southern Society and Culture Most white southerners shared similar religious beliefs and were often Protestant Christians Families often saw neighbors only at church events. Wealthy white southerners thought that religion justified their place in society and the institution of slavery.

Southern Society and Culture Many southern cities were on the Atlantic Coast and began as shipping centers. Slaves did much of the work in southern cities at mills and shipyards

Southern Society and Culture Main Idea 1: Southern society and culture consisted of four main groups.

Free African Americans and Discrimination More than 250,000 free African Americans lived in the South in 1860 Most worked as paid laborers on farms; those in cities worked a variety of jobs.

Free African Americans and Discrimination Many governments passed laws limiting the rights of free African Americans—they could not vote, travel freely, or hold certain jobs. Many white southerners argued that free African Americans did not have the ability to take care of themselves.

Free African Americans and Discrimination Main Idea 2: Free African Americans in the South faced a great deal of discrimination.