Antebellum South Carolina Chapter 12

Section One…Slavery in South Carolina I. Slaves and Work A. Slaves were known by the work that they did. 1. House Servants: cooks, butlers. They were on call 24 hours a day. 2. Yard Servants: worked as blacksmiths, carpenters, etc. They lived in the shop where they worked. 3. Field Hands: worked in the fields and lived in slave cabins on “the street”. By 1850, cotton growing and the plantation system were more than an economic venture in South Carolina, they were a way of life. And slavery was an integral part of that way of life.

Slaves and work continued … Field hands were classified once a year by the amount of work they did. The overseer was the person who was responsible for seeing that slaves performed the tasks assigned to them 1. Quarter Hands: very young and very old. 2. Half Hands: boys, girls, mothers with young children. 3. Full Hands: full day of work.

Slaves and work continued … Plantation work was organized in two ways: 1. Task System (Rice Plantation): when their daily task was completed they could work in their gardens or hunt and fish. 2. Gang System (Cotton Plantation): they worked from sun up to sun down in the cotton fields.

II. Slave Life Most slaves were poorly fed, housed, and clothed. The slaves of planters got clothes twice a year and shoes once a year. Slave families had gardens and sometimes were allowed to fish and hunt. Slave children were often sold to other planters. Discipline on the plantation was a system of rewards and punishments.

The men and women slaves received, as their monthly allowance of food, eight pounds of pork, or its equivalent in fish, and one bushel of corn meal. Their yearly clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts, one pair of linen trousers, like the shirts, one jacket, one pair of trousers for winter, made of coarse negro cloth, one pair of stockings, and one pair of shoes; the whole of which could not have cost more than seven dollars. The clothing allowance of the slave children was given to their mothers, or the old women having the care of them. The children unable to work in the field had neither shoes, stockings, jackets, nor trousers, given to them; their clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts per year. When these failed them, they went naked until the next allowance-day. Children from seven to ten years old, of both sexes, almost naked, might be seen at all seasons of the year. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845)

III. Slave Culture The most important unit of slave communities was the family. Even though slave marriages were against the law in some states, most owners allowed their slaves to marry. Slaves would often participate in an old African wedding custom and “jump the broom” after a marriage ceremony. By the early 1800’s, many slaves were Christians and they expressed their religious beliefs through the singing of spirituals. (Read Slave Music page 303)

IV. Free Blacks A mother’s legal status, slave or free, determined her children’s status at birth. Free blacks, fewer than 10,000 in 1860, tended to work in cities and towns. Free blacks were often discriminated against…they were denied rights or treated unfairly; they could not vote in South Carolina. Free black William Ellison, of Statesburg, owned more than 50 slaves.

V. Challenging Slavery Slaves rebelled against the slave system by using work slowdowns or running away. Some runaways returned with-in a few days. Why do you suppose they returned to the horrors of slavery? B. As the number of slaves increased, fears of revolts increased Planters lived in fear that a slave revolt would occur. C. The most violent slave revolt was Nat Turner’s Rebellion which took place in Virginia. D. 60 white people in the area were killed. More than 100 slaves were killed in an attempt to put down the rebellion. Turner was captured and later hanged. In South Carolina, there were two attempted slave revolts. One was the Stono Rebellion and the second was the Denmark Vesey Plot.

Slave Rebellions in S.C. Read pages 31 and 102-103 in blue South Carolina books Copy and answer the following questions concerning these two South Carolina slave rebellions. Explain the Stono Rebellion and its outcome. What was put in place as a result of this rebellion? Who was Denmark Vesey and how did he gain his freedom? Explain the Denmark Vesey Plot and its outcome. How did these two revolts differ? In what ways were they the same.

Stono Rebellion Denmark Vesey Plot Largest slave uprising prior to American Revolution. Rebel slaves in SC led by Jemmy killed a storekeeper, and stole his guns and powder . As they headed south, they recruited nearly 100 other slaves for their cause. The rebellion was put down, however, by a large group of farmers. 20 slaves were killed during the rebellion and 40 more were later hanged or executed. Harsh slave codes put in place after this revolt Denmark Vesey Plot http://www.africawithin.com/bios/denmark_vesey.htm An attempted slave revolt plot headed up by freed slave, Denmark Vesey. The revolt never actually occurred because there was a leak among the conspirators. Those orchestrating the plot were rounded up and thrown in jail. In all 100 people were arrested in connection with the rebellion with over 30 of them, including Vesey being sentenced to death.

Slave Codes Slave Codes Slaves could not meet without a white man present Slaves could not travel without written permission Slaves could not learn to read or write Slaves could not raise and store their own food. Slaves could not communicate with drums, horns, or other loud instruments. F. As a result of these rebellions strict slave codes were put in place. These codes were put in place to prevent any more uprisings by controlling slaves.

VI. Opposition to Slavery Sisters Sarah and Angelina Grimke, raised in a slave-holding family, wrote and lectured against slavery Slave revolts, such as the Nat Turner, prompted most southern whites to keep silent about any abolitionist (anti-slavery) views. Many South Carolinians started defending slavery as it was attacked by abolitionists.

Section 2… Class System and Reform The Southern Class System A. Distinct social classes evolved in the South. 1. Planters – the elite; the highest class 2. Small farmer – the largest group 3. Poor whites – owned no land; often became tenant farmers B. Slaves were at the of the social ladder and free blacks were unsure where they fit.

II. Reform Movements A. Prison reform – the mentally ill and “real” criminals were housed in the same jails. The mentally ill were moved to asylums. B. Education reform – there were a few normal schools which were public schools with teachers, but most schools were still private academies. 1. SC had some schools for blacks even though it was against the law to educate slaves. 2. Some private colleges opened and most were church – sponsored schools.

Section 3… Industry and Railroads The Start of Industry A. The pottery industry was one of the first industries in the state. B. William Gregg opened a textile mill in Graniteville. 1. Gregg built and entire village. 2. Entire families were hired to work in the mill. 3. The average workday was 12 hours. A Growing Population A. Blacks far outnumbered whites in all areas of the state. B. Most South Carolinians lived in small towns.

III. Railroads A. To bring business into Charleston, SC built a railroad from Charleston to Hamburg. B. In 1833, the SC railroad was 136 miles long and was the longest railroad in the world. C. The Best Friend of Charleston was the first locomotive in SC. D. The SC railroads expanded and increased trade and economic conditions in the state.