The South
Cotton Standard 8.51
Cotton Gin Invented by Eli Whitney Removed the seeds from cotton One person could do the work of 50
Video Clip Cotton Gin
King Cotton more cotton = more slaves Cotton uses up nutrients in the soil Crop rotation necessary
Name the cotton producing states.
Memphis as the Cotton Capital Time Out Memphis as the Cotton Capital
Southern Society Standard 8.52
Time period before the Civil War Antebellum Time period before the Civil War
Southern Society Glorification of all things British: Horse riding Etiquette Hunting
Southern Society-fun fact This is Thomas Lee’s home Stratford Hall in Virginia His sons Richard Henry and Francis Lightfoot Lee the only brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence. Grandson Robert E. Lee born in this house
Southern Society--Men courteous, truthful and honorable Hospitable and generous respected his family and treated women with high regard.
Southern Society--Men A man was to defend the family name, with his life if necessary. A personal insult to an individual or his family resulted in a fight or a duel.
Southern Society--Men Acceptable jobs: lawyer, politician, planter, or military man Most men went to a military academy: West Point or Virginia Military Institute
West Point—New York
VMI—Virginia
Southern Society—Women Nicknamed Southern Belles entertained guests defended husband and children not outspoken
Plantations Planters Wealthiest members of society Lived on plantations A large plantation might cover several thousand acres The goal of the plantation owner was to make profits
Plantations The owners usually lived in comfortable farmhouses They measured their wealth partly by the number of slaves they owned and by their possessions
Plantations -Larger plantations functioned as a small community with their own blacksmiths, carpenters, they held their own church service, and their children were tutored instead of attending schools
Plantations -The owner’s wife had the responsibility of watching over and caring for the workers, keeping the financial records, supervising fruit and vegetable gardens, and tending to overseeing when the owner was away selling the cotton
Yeoman Most southerners were yeoman or owners of small farms few slaves
Yeoman A yeoman’s farm usually had 50 to 200 acres and they grew crops for their own use and for selling or they traded crops for services such as carpenters or blacksmiths
Tenant Farmer A tenant farmer rented land and raised crops The rural poor lived in crude cabins and cleared enough land to raise a garden and kept a hog or cow, and fished and hunted for food.
New Madrid earthquakes Time Out New Madrid earthquakes
Slavery Standard 8.71
Slavery Slaves were sold at slave auctions Treated like livestock Families split apart
Slavery Slaves were bought and sold like property Three possible jobs: Field House Skilled jobs
Slavery Field The enslaved workers who worked in the fields from sunrise to sunset planting, raising, and harvesting crops were called field hands. They were supervised by an overseer.
Slavery Overseer: White male in charge of the slaves
Slavery Driver: Slave who urges the other slaves to work
Slavery Home Some enslaved workers were needed in the house for cleaning, cooking, serving meals, sewing, and doing laundry (domestic slaves)
Slavery Skilled Job Other enslaved workers were trained as blacksmiths, carpenters, shoemakers, or weavers. In later years these slaves used their trade to work and buy their freedom
Living Conditions
Living Conditions Lived in small cabins Little furnishings Cheap clothing
Slaves punished in front of others as a warning
Slaves Codes Cannot travel far from home Illegal to teach slaves to read and write
Free African Americans Lived in the North and South could not vote, travel freely, or hold certain jobs be married to a white husband or wife had to be represented by a white person in business
Nat Turner Rebellion Standard 8.71
Nat Turner Slave from Virginia---thought God told him to end slavery Led group of slaves to kill slaveholders and their families Killed 60 people 100 innocent slaves killed in retaliation He was caught and executed
Video Clip Nate Turner Rebellion