Plantations and Slavery Spread Chapter 11.2

The Cotton Gin Eli Whitney invents cotton gin—machine that cleans cotton (1793) Makes cotton cleaning more efficient, changes Southern life Cotton plantations spread west, triggers a move westward Planters grow more cotton than other goods, cotton exports increase Native Americans driven off land taken over for cotton plantations Slaves from the east are sold to work on new cotton plantations

Slavery Expands From 1790 to 1860, cotton production increases greatly As cotton earnings rise so does price of slaves Expansion of slavery has major impact on South’s economy, people

Slavery Divides the South Slavery divides white Southerners into: those who have slaves those who do not One-tenth of white families have plantations with 20 or more slaves Most white Southern farmers have few, no slaves, but support slavery Slavery has become necessary to increase profits

African-Americans in the South Slavery divides black Southerners into: those who are enslaved those who are free Enslaved African-Americans are one-third of South’s population (1840) Most work on plantations, some work as domestic servants, craftsmen 8 percent of African-Americans in South are free (1840) Some states make blacks leave after they gain their freedom Most states do not permit free blacks to vote, receive education

Finding Strength in Religion Enslaved African-Americans rely on their culture to endure hardships Culture filled with religious convictions, close personal bonds, music Slaves express religious beliefs in folk songs—spirituals Spirituals often contain coded messages about a planned escape

Families Under Slavery Some slaveholders separate families of enslaved people Often slaves run away to escape separation, see family again Marriages of enslaved people are not legally recognized If family of enslaved people stay together, children live with mother

Slave Rebellions Two planned slave revolts are betrayed, leaders hanged Nat Turner leads famous slave rebellion, Virginia (1831) Turner, followers kill 55 white people Turner’s men captured, 16 are killed, Turner caught, tried, hanged Rebellion spreads fear in South Pass harsh laws to control enslaved, free blacks