Politics, Slavery, & Antebellum Society

Vocabulary Antebellum Literally, it means “before the war.” In America, especially the South, it means “before the Civil War.” Board of Police After 1832, the Board of Police governed each county in Mississippi. They levied taxes for the operation of county affairs and imposed special taxes to construct court houses and jails and to support the poor. They also appointed supervisors to build and maintain roads and bridges. It approved those people who could operate hotels, run ferries, or sell alcohol; the board also set prices for these services. They often paid the school tuition for poor children and operated public schools that were open to all white children

Assimilation A policy pursued by federal government that theorized that if Native Americans relied on farming rather than on hunting, they would need less land and could then co-exist with the settlers Trail of Tears The trail followed by Native Americans to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) Black Code Law passed in 1724 that applied to blacks, granted them only a few basic rights, limited marriage, owning land, traveling, and gathering in groups; and made attempts to escape or resisting whites authority able to be cruelly punished

Plantation Relatively large farms where most cotton was grown with slave labor Specie Gold and silver used as money Panic of 1837 An economic downturn that occurred when state-chartered banks could not back up with specie the paper money that they had issued; led to the depression of

People Fought and negotiated treaties with Native Americans in Mississippi Territory Democratic Party organized around him & Whig party formed by his opponents Ended the Bank of the United States Won elections for President in 1824 & 1828 Upheld the authority of the federal government in the dispute about nullification Had no inherited wealth and little formal education Andrew Jackson

People One of the chief’s of the Choctaw. Died in Washington while trying to re- negotiate the Treaty of Doak’s Stand. Fought with Andrew Jackson. Persuaded his people not to join Tecumseh and his brother in the Native American rebellion. Pushmata ha

People Pushmataha’s nephew Helped negotiate the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. Greenwoo d LeFlore Greenwoo d LeFlore

People The most prominent free black in MS. Helped negotiate the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. Barber in Natchez who owned town lots, a farm, and slaves. Following his murder, his alleged killer was not prosecuted because the only witnesses were blacks who could not testify in the case. William Johnson

Timeline

Politics Elections determine which candidates are voted into particular offices or jobs Make people take sides, causing divisions within society Raises the issues that most concern people

The State Capital Where, oh, where shall we put it? Where to put the state capital was one of the first issues to reveal social divisions caused by politics in Mississippi Who needs an official space…Let’s just meet wherever! In 1798, Natchez was the capital. No official capitol building was built, and officials just met wherever they could find space. No…no…that’s not where we want to meet… In 1802, political rivalry cased the relocation of the capitol to Washington. No capitol building was built here, either. Why can’t we ignore our own decisions? Why can’t we ignore our own decisions? In 1817, the state constitutional convention decided to meet in Natchez, but met in Washington; however, meetings after that were in Natchez. Why do the elite always get the capitol? The small farmers and townspeople did not like that the capitol was in Washington, because they wanted the capitol closer to them, and they wanted the capitol to be away from the influence of the elite merchants and planters of Natchez. Eureka! I’ve found the capitol! In 1821, a committee was formed to locate a capitol in the middle of the state. They decided on LeFleur’s Bluff on the Pearl River, where Louis LeFleur traded with the Choctaw. The town was named Jackson after the hero of the battle of New Orleans. They met there for the first time in December of 1822.

The Constitution of 1832 Property ownership was no longer required to vote, so all adult, adult me could vote and hold office. Because of this, the time period is called the “Era of the Common Man.” Mississippi Constitution of 1832 reflected Jacksonian Democracy. Judges were elected instead of appointed and for terms instead of life. Representation of both houses determined only by population. One provision banned slaves being imported into MS, but it was never applied. Constituti on of 1832

Local Governments County government met most of the needs of the citizens in the state. After 1832, an elected board of police governed the counties. Board of Police built and maintained roads & bridges. Board levied taxes for the operation of county affairs. Decided who could operate ferries & hotels and who could sell alcohol. Board of Police supported the poor and helped children pay for school. County Governm ent

Native American Land You should be just like us! Tension in MS started rising between the Native Americans and whites because whites were moving westward and expanding. At first, the whites supported assimilation, which is the belief that Native Americans should concentrate on farming, not hunting, so that they would need less land. However, the Native Americans did not want to change. Aw…never mind. Don’t be like us…Just go away! By the War of 1812, most whites had given up on the idea of assimilation. They thought that the Native Americans might side with the British or the Spanish. You can’t have our land! The Creek Indians in Alabama joined Shawnee chief Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa (also known as the Prophet) when they tried to unite the various tribes to resist the white settlers. Pushmataha, one of the chiefs of the Choctaw, persuaded his people not to join Tecumseh. When Tecumseh was killed, united Native American resistance in the United States ended. Why don’t you go away…I mean, go to this better place… Why don’t you go away…I mean, go to this better place… Land speculators, settlers, and squatters wanted all Native Americans moved west of the Mississippi River so that there would be more land available.

Federal Treaties with Native Americans You give us land, and we’ll break our promises. In 1801, the Treaty of Fort Adams was the first in a series of treaties in which the Choctaw ceded their land. The US got almost 3 million acres of land and the right to build the Natchez Trace. The Choctaw got a few thousand dollars in merchandise and a promise that was not kept. This promise was that all non- Native Americans would be removed from Indian lands. Does this seem fair? The Treaty of Mount Dexter, in 1805, gave the US over 4 million acres of land. The Native Americans got cancellation on their debts with traders and the annual pensions for various Native American leaders including Pushmataha. We need more land! Give us more land! In 1820, Andrew Jackson and Thomas Hinds negotiated the Treaty of Doak’s Stand, which gave the US 5 million acres of land. The Choctaw were promised land west of the Mississippi, however, they rejected that land. Pushmata went to Washington to re- negotiate, but died there. New agreements were made, but the Choctaw still refused to leave. You are moving West – whether you like it or not! After Andrew Jackson became President, the US federal government decided that Native Americans were subject to state laws and courts. In 1830, they signed the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, ceding the rest of their land (over 10 million acres) and agreeing to move to Oklahoma. One provision allowed them to stay and register to obtain land, but the process proved to be too difficult. You are going with the Choctaw – hahahaha! In 1832, the Chickasaw signed the Treaty of Pontotoc Creek. They ceded all of their land in north Mississippi to the federal government and agreed to move West. Who cares if a few Indians die? We got land! The trek of the Native Americans to Oklahoma, then called Indian Territory, is known as the Trail of Tears, because of how many people died along the way. The Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Seminole all made their way west as best they could, often without government help.

The Black Code Rights are for people, and slaves aren’t people. In 1724, Governor Bienville issued a set of laws called the Black Code. They applied only to blacks and granted slaves only a few rights. Marriage, ownership of property, travel, and gathering in groups were all severely restricted. There’s some good stuff in this awful law… There’s some good stuff in this awful law… They provided some protection for slaves. When owners sold slaves, they could not separate husbands from wives or children under 14 from their parents. Owners could not mistreat slaves, or free them when they were old or sick, leaving them helpless. Slaves could not be made to work on Sundays or religious holidays, and a freed slave received all the privileges of any free citizen.

Cotton & Slavery Cotton was a cash crop that was not hard on the soil – so they could keep growing without losing quality and quantity. Mississippi was well suited to the production of cotton. Mississippi was also subject to erosion and exhaustion. The most productive strain of cotton was Petit Gulf cotton, developed by Rush Nutt of Rodney and Henry Vick of Warren County. Most cotton was grown with slave labor on relatively large farms or plantations. Cotton & Slavery

Conditions for Slaves You do whatever I tell you to do. Other than grow cotton, slaves also cooked, cleaned house, tended livestock, made clothes, and cared for small children. Skilled slaves worked as blacksmiths, carpenters, and brick masons. These slaves were often “hired out” and could sometimes earn enough money to buy their freedom. Who’s in charge here? The owner usually oversaw slave labor. An overseer was hired if the owner did not live on the farm. A slave driver usually oversaw the work of a group of slaves. You think you have a long workday! Work generally began at sunrise and ended at sunset, although days could be even longer at harvest time. Sunday was normally a day of rest, although at some farms, the work week ended at noon on Saturday. Christmas was usually a holiday that lasted for days. If you’re a good boy, I’ll give you a treat! Slave owners punished and rewarded in different ways. A slave could be whipped at the owner’s discretion, but a whipped slave couldn’t work until he or she recovered. Slave owners often offered incentives for good work, such as extra clothes, pocket knives, time off from work, a party, or money. Who needs good nutrition? The owner provided meals. Pork and corn were the more important parts of slave diets. Sometimes they got fruits, vegetables, game, and fish. The amount of food was adequate, but the basic diet wasn’t always nutritious enough to maintain good health. Only wimps need floors and windows! Housing was usually simple log cabins without doors or floors. Usually the only furniture was bunks and chairs. Sometimes, there were cottages with chimneys, windows, and wooden floors. Cabins were used mainly for sleeping and were often shared by many slaves.

Slave Community Slaves were property with no rights. The protections in the Black Code no longer existed. Slaves struggled to create a community – the fact that there were many on each farm helped. Slave marriage wasn’t recognized legally, but the love bonded spouses and children. Despite slave laws, slaves learned to read and write. Slaves adopted Christianity. Whites saw it as a way to control slaves, but slaves saw it as a path to freedom. They preferred to have their own religious gatherings. Slave Communi ty

Slave Resistance Sometimes, resistance was open. Owners sometimes died trying to discipline slaves. Sometimes slaves killed owners and their families. Nat Turner, a slave preacher in Virginia, led a revolt that killed at least 60 whites and 100 blacks. Whites feared revolts so much that even rumors of one led to beatings and executions. In 1835, blacks and whites in Madison County were killed because there were fears of a revolt. A rebellion was planned in Adams County in 1861, but it was revealed before it happened. Most of the time rebellion was more subtle – such as telling the owner what he wanted to hear and the barn “accidentally” burning down. Slave Communi ty

Free Blacks Many blacks were free and lived in towns such as Natchez and Vicksburg and worked at many different types of jobs. Most prominent was William Johnson of Natchez, a barber who owned slaves. His murder was not prosecuted because the only witnesses were blacks who could not testify. Could not be freed unless their owner provided funds for them to leave the state. Freed slaves had to leave unless the County Board of Police allowed them to stay. This was because they were afraid freed slaves would help organize a revolt. Free blacks in MS reached a peak in 1840 and then steadily declined in number. Free Blacks

Antebellum Mississippi Society What to do with all of this Indian land? In the 1830’s, newly acquired Native American land sparked a land boom and population explosion. Between , settlers bought 7 million acres of land in northern MS. The state’s population grew faster than the nation’s population. Look at all of this money!!!! Prosperity was everywhere. Land was cheap and the price of cotton was high. Banks extended credit and issued paper money far in excess of the specie (gold and silver) in their vaults. Prosperity was everywhere. Land was cheap and the price of cotton was high. Banks extended credit and issued paper money far in excess of the specie (gold and silver) in their vaults. Where did all of the money go? The economic boom ended abruptly, followed by the most severe economic depression faced by the US up to that time. This depression was caused by President Jackson’s policies. Jackson destroyed the second Bank of the US, and used state banks called “pet banks.” These banks issued more paper money than they had in specie. This stimulated the economy, and people used the bad money to buy federal land.

The Panic of 1837 The Specie Circular was issued in Required that government land be paid for with specie rather than with paper money. The Distribution Act required that the surplus money in the federal treasury be paid to the state as specie. When the “pet banks” could not provide the gold and silver, they collapsed. The Panic of 1837 led to the depression of The depression hit MS hard. Banks closed, cotton prices fell, bank notes were deemed useless, property owners lost land, & paychecks had to be cashed for less than face value. Panic of 1837

Antebellum Mississippi Society How did they get around before the car? Transportation was slow and difficult. The roads were dusty and rutted lanes or muddy paths. A wagon pulled by oxen traveled only 20 miles per day. How do we transport all of this cotton? Steamboats carried cotton and other goods on the Mississippi River and on the smaller rivers. Steamboats carried cotton and other goods on the Mississippi River and on the smaller rivers. Look, Mommy, a Choo-choo! Railroads made land transportation easier, however they were expensive and hard to build. Once they were built, though, they ran year-round and were rarely affected by weather. Railroads made land transportation easier, however they were expensive and hard to build. Once they were built, though, they ran year-round and were rarely affected by weather. I wish I didn’t have to go to school! Public education developed slowly. After 1836, the state authorized counties to fund schools. Parents had to pay tuition, if they could. By 1860, over 30,000 white children were attending school. There was no school for black children. School terms were short (about 3 months) and really only taught the basics (reading, writing, arithmetic).Higher education was usually the responsibility of private and religious organizations. The University of MS was established in 1840, but did not open its doors until 1848.