North & South Take Different Paths Chapter 11

The Plantation South 11.3

The Plantation South 11.3 1793 – Eli Whitney (the interchangeable parts guy) invented a devise to speed the processing of cotton. This cotton gin used a spiked cylinder to remove seeds from cotton fibers. Before, seeds had to be picked out of cotton by hand. With cotton gin, 50x more cotton fiber could be processed! Cotton growing = profits!!!

The Plantation South 11.3 Slave Labor actually increased! 1790 – 698,000 slaves 1860 – 4 million slaves Price of a slave increased ten/twenty times.

The Plantation South 11.3 Cotton became greatest source of wealth for U.S. 1790 – 1.5 million lbs. 1820 – 15 million lbs.

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365110015/

The Plantation South 11.3 Southern “Cotton Kingdom” – society was dominated by large plantation owners. Small, wealthy class lived in luxury. But more than ½ of all Southerners didn’t own slaves – they grew corn and raised hogs and chickens.

The Plantation South 11.3 Southern whites, afraid of violent slave revolts, accepted slavery and tight control over African Americans. Supporters of slavery argued it was more humane than the “free labor” system of the North (factory conditions) Unlike factory workers, they argued, slaves didn’t have to worry about unemployment.

Thomas Greene, a Wealthy Southern Plantation owner Who: A 48 year-old plantation owner. He owns ‘Greene Plantations,’ the most successful cotton plantation in Alabama. Where: Mobile, Alabama When: 1852 Summer of 1852 https://kis-ushistory.wikispaces.com/Thomas+Greene,+a+Wealthy+Southern+Plantation+owner

The Plantation South 11.3 253,000/4 million slaves (~ 6%) were free. Many had purchased their freedom. Some were “willed” freedom in their owners estates.

The Plantation South 11.3 Restrictions on Free African Americans Excluded from all but the most lowly jobs Children could not attend public schools Could not vote Could not serve on juries Could not testify against white defendants in court

The Plantation South 11.3 In the South, slave catchers looked for escapees and often kidnapped free African Americans, selling them into slavery.

Many African Americans made valuable contributions to southern life. The Plantation South 11.3 Many African Americans made valuable contributions to southern life.

Norbert Rillieux (1806-1894), widely considered to be one of the earliest chemical engineers, revolutionized sugar processing with the invention of the multiple effect evaporator under vacuum. Rillieux’s great scientific achievement was his recognition that at reduced pressure the repeated use of latent heat would result in the production of better quality sugar at lower cost. One of the great early innovations in chemical engineering, Rillieux’s invention is widely recognized as the best method for lowering the temperature of all industrial evaporation and for saving large quantities of fuel.

Seed Planter Henry Blair was an inventor & farmer best known as the 2nd African American to hold a U.S. patent. Born in Glen Ross, Maryland in 1807, Blair was a farmer who patented 2 devices to boost agricultural productivity. Little is known about Blair’s personal life or family background. He died in 1860.

The Plantation South 11.3 Slave codes – laws controlling every aspect of slaves lives. 1828 – Kentucky court ruled “…a slave by our code is not treated as a person but as a…thing…”

The Plantation South 11.3 After 1808, it was illegal to import slaves from Africa. Slave trade continued within the states. Many African Americans found hope in Christianity. Spirituals – religious folk songs that blended biblical themes with the realities of slavery.

https://www. youtube. com/watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oFcFzJT7Tw&list=PLUCSU0WaWqtAb4XM1T5d5YZat0Mt3KMPI

The Plantation South 11.3 1831 - Nat Turner led the famous slave revolt Turner said he had a vision that told him to kill whites. He and others murdered about 60 whites. In retaliation, many innocent African Americans were executed. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p1518.html