THE SOUTH AND THE SLAVERY CONTROVERSY, 1793-1860 Chapter 16
Cotton is King In 1787 many in both south and the north thought that slavery was on its way out. Reasons? Impact of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin.
King Cotton Cotton becomes dominant cash crop in south, especially in the “Deep South” Southern planters buy new land and slaves aggressively Northern shippers make big profits shipping. Britain highly dependent on American cotton. Britain’s most important product in the 1850s was cotton cloth. About 75% of its cotton came from US. 1/5th of Britain’s workers directly or indirectly got livelihood from cotton processing.
Changes in Cotton Production 1820 1860
Southern Cotton Production, 1860
SOUTHERN SOCIETY Plantation owners Aristocracy Southern society was similar to a Feudal system that existed in Europe during the Dark and Middle Ages…..(Manorial System) Caste system and difficult to move up the social ladder. Based on white supremacy and the slave was inferior. Plantation owners Aristocracy Upper class Owned some slaves. Achieve American Dream Middle Class Small farmers Owned no slaves….Hated white upper class…American Dream Poor Whites Free Blacks, 2nd class citizens No political or civil rights. Slaves---no rights, considered property
The Planter “Aristocracy” Before the Civil War planter aristocracy controls government in the South. Planter Aristocracy at the top. 1850, only 1733 families owned more than 100 slaves. Cream of the political and social leadership. Owned the lion’s share of the wealth.
Slaves Of The Slave System Plantation system slowed economic development. Why? Problems with plantation system: Depleted soil Economy was monopolistic System was economically unstable Led to a dangerous dependence on one crop South lacked diversity
Slave-Owning Population (1850)
Whites Without Slaves Majority Mostly subsistence farmers on poorer land Bottom of group: “Poor white trash”, “rednecks”, “crackers” Had no stake in the slave economy, but were some of the strongest supporters of the system Why? Mountain whites: very poor, resented slavery, “Hillbillies”
Free Blacks: Slaves Without Masters By 1860 there were about 250,000 free blacks Societies’ attitude toward them. Risk of being high-jacked back into slavery. Attitude in the North Northern v. Southern view of blacks
Plantation Slavery 4 Million Slaves by 1860 Basement of southern society. Numbers had quadrupled since 1800. Important source of wealth Stagnated the southern economy. Slave population moved south as prime cotton land shifted to the Deep South. Slave population in states.
Southern Population (1860)
Distribution of Slaves, 1860
Slave Life Hard work, ignorance and oppression No political or legal rights. Floggings common Many places illegal to teach them to read. By 1860 most slaves concentrated in the Deep South.
Slave Rebellions Were slave rebellions, but never successful. Often informed upon by other slaves. 1800 Gabriel in Richmond Denmark Vesey, Charleston in 1822. Most famous was rebellion by Nat Turner in Va. in 1831. Significance
SLAVE CODES AND LAWS Slave Revolts would lead plantation owners to develop a series of slave laws/codes which restricted the movement of the slaves. Slaves were not taught to read or write Restricted to the plantation Slaves could not congregate after dark Slaves could not possess any type of firearm A larger slave plantation than white in some states Slave owners wanted to keep their slaves ignorant of the outside world because learning about life beyond the plantation could lead to more slave revolts and wanting to escape. Slave Laws
Early Abolition Early abolitionism. Quakers. American Colonization Society (1817) Liberia. 15000 freed blacks transported to Africa
Growth of Abolition In the 1830s abolitionist turned into a crusade. Why? Theodore Dwight Weld—early Abolitionist preacher. Lyman Beecher, head of Lane Theological Seminary, hotbed of early abolitionism. Very influential and father of Harriet Beecher Stowe Henry Ward Beecher Catharine Beecher
Radical Abolition 1831 William Lloyd Garrison burst onto the scene. Published militant abolitionist magazine: The Liberator. Founded the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833.
Black Abolitionists Sojourner Truth David Walker—Militant. Frederick Douglas Greatest of the Black abolitionists escaped from bondage in 1838 at 21. Protégé of Garrison Frederick Douglas
The South Lashes Back Before 1830: More anti-slavery societies in south than north Southerners openly debated merits of slavery. After 1830 debate in South ends and many southerners defend as positive good. What changed? Nat Turners rebellion in 1831 Nullification Crisis Reaction to Northern criticism Southern preachers arguing that slavery supported by Bible
The Abolitionist Impact In The North Abolitionists were not particularly popular in the North for some time. Why? North had heavy stake in the cotton of the south. Textile mills relied on southern cotton. Many northerners feared political controversy. Many northern politicians carefully distanced themselves from the abolitionists. Abolitionists harrassed Yet, by 1850 abolitionism had gained strength and taken root as a popular cause.