Politics, Slavery, and Antebellum Society Chapter 4 Politics, Slavery, and Antebellum Society

Chapter 4 Section 1 Politics Objectives The learner will be able to understand the changes in the Constitution of 1832

Politics Politics play an important role in history Elections determine which candidates are voted into offices or jobs Politics also make people take sides Causing divisions in society Also raises the issues that most concern people What are the two biggest political parties in Mississippi?

Capital of Mississippi Jackson, Mississippi “Jackson Mississippi City of Soul” is the city slogan Population of 539,057 Most populous city in Mississippi Who was Mississippi named after? Andrew Jackson

State Capital Location of the capital was the 1st issue to reveal divisions in society in Antebellum Mississippi Antebellum means “before the war” in the U.S. especially in the South it means before the Civil War 1798 Natchez was the capital, because it was already a substantial frontier settlement. 1802 political rivalry led to the relocation of the territorial capital to Washington, located 6 miles east of Natchez No capital building was built in either city

State Capital In 1817, Mississippi state constitutional convention held the 1st session of legislature in Natchez Most Mississippians lived in the Natchez District Small farmers and townspeople throughout the state wanted a state capital closer to them Believed Washington was too small Also wanted to move the capital away from the influence of merchants and planters of Natchez

State Capital In 1821 Mississippi’s legislature formed a committee to locate a capital in the center of the state The committee chose LeFleur’s Bluff on the Pearl River Louis Lefleur traded with the Choctaw here Town was named Jackson, previously called LeFleur’s Bluff Honoring the hero of the battle of New Orleans Andrew Jackson 7th president 1829-1837 Streets were quickly laid out in grid pattern Houses and public buildings were built First state legislature met in Jackson for the 1st time in Dec. 1822

State Capital Jackson remained a small town for decades In 1840 a capital building was built for the legislature and a mansion for the governor Governor still lives in the mansion The Old Capital was replaced by the New Capital at the beginning of the 20th century and is now a museum . Old Capital is now a museum

The Constitution of 1832 America had many political changes during the early 19th century Property ownership requirement to vote was eliminated Meant that all adult white men could vote and hold office Time period was referred to “Era of the Common Man” Wealth and education no longer guaranteed access to positions of authority Wealthy and educated held office because they were elected by the poor and uneducated Most visible evidence was Andrew Jackson. Pg 79

Constitution of 1832 Some Important changes in the constitution of 1832 Judges were elected by the people for specific terms instead of being appointed for life State offices also became elective. Representation in both houses of legislature was determined by population One provision banned slaves coming into MS, “If to be sold” Passed a law to enforce it, but was never applied Slavery was important to the South but, slavery also became a troubling issue Some question the morality of owning people Others feared possibility of slave revolts Society would be divided between wealthy slave owners and the poor

Local Governments State government was important but county government met most of the needs of the citizens After 1832 a board of police was elected to govern each county. Board levied taxes for county operations, and imposed special taxes to construct courthouses and jails also supported the poor Appointed supervisors to build and maintain roads and bridges, operated public schools open to all white children. Approved people to operate hotels, run ferries, or sell alcohol Page 80 (1-3) It’s your turn

Chapter 4 Section 2 Objectives The learner will be able to identify the treaties for the acquisition of Native American land

Section 2 Acquisition of Native American Land The growth of Mississippi was made possible by the removal of Native Americans Showed the greed of Americans and their uncaring attitude towards the natives Tension rose between white settlers and natives because more and more settlers were moving west. By 1840, most Native Americans had ceded “given up” their land to the government and left the state.

Assimilation Government first wanted a policy called assimilation Theory that if Native Americans relied on farming rather than hunting, they would need less land and could then co-exist with the settlers Natives weren’t given time to change nor did they want to change After the War of 1812 U.S. government gave up assimilation because They thought the natives might side with either the British or the Spanish in their disputes with the United States. The native tribes were beginning to unite. Land speculators, settlers, and squatters wanted all natives moved west of the Mississippi River, so more land was available

Federal Treaties To get the Indians to move west what did the government do? Government negotiated a series of treaties Which eventually required the Choctaw and Chickasaw to leave Mississippi In 1783, their were only the Chickasaw, and Choctaw left in Mississippi, the Choctaw was the largest tribe in Mississippi. Mississippi territory was established in 1798 when Spain gave up its hold over the Natchez District

Treaty of Fort Adams In 1801, 1st treaty in a series of treaties where the Choctaw ceded their land U.S. received almost 3 million acres of land and the right to build a road(Natchez Trace) through Choctaw territory The Choctaw received several thousand dollars worth of merchandise and the promise that non-Native Americans would be removed from their land Promise WAS NOT KEPT

Treaty of Mount Dexter In 1805 U.S. received over 4 million acres of land in south Mississippi In exchange the U.S. would cancel the debts Native Americans owed people who traded with them, and give annual pensions to various Native American leaders. Even after the Choctaw helped the U.S. against the British and the Creeks, the pressure to acquire their land continued Page 82

Treaty of Doak’s Stand Gave the United State’s 5 million acres This included the area where Jackson is located Choctaw was promised the land west of the Mississippi Rejected the land because it was not suitable for hunting and had already been settled by whites Pushmataha and other Choctaw chiefs, travel to Washington to renegotiate the treaty Pushmataha died there and received a military funeral

Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek After Andrew Jackson became president Federal government insisted the Native Americans be subject to state laws and state courts Was signed in 1830 The Choctaw ceded the rest of their land(over 10 million acres) and agreed to move to what is now Oklahoma Treaty was negotiated by Greenwood LeFlore Choctaw numbered in the 18,000s, several hundred whites, and about 500 black slaves Provision in the treaty allowed Native Americans to register with the government to obtain land So difficult most families couldn’t get land (less than 70 families were able to do so.) Page 84

Treaty of Pontotoc Creek Chickasaw numbers were less than 5,000 Indians, and a thousand black slaves Signed the treaty in 1832 The Chickasaw ceded their lands in North Mississippi to the federal government and moved West

Trail of Tears Native American walk to Oklahoma Called trail of tears because the number of people who died along the way. The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Many Native Americans suffered from exposure, disease and starvation on the route to their destinations. Many died, including 60,000 of the 130,000

Trail of Tears In 1831 the Choctaw were the first to be removed 2nd were the Seminole in 1832 3rd were the Creek in 1834, 4th were the Chickasaw in 1837 The Choctaw are found in Mississippi, the Seminole in Florida, the Creek in Alabama, and the Cherokee in North Carolina. By 1837, 46,000 Native Americans from these southeastern states had been removed from their homelands thereby opening 25 million acres of land Page 85 (1-4) It’s your turn

Section 3 Slavery in Mississippi Native Americans and African Americans were slaves Natives Americans were forced off their lands and confined to reservations African Americans were brought to America as slaves Their descendants labored for generations before becoming free Tribes in Africa would sell their enemies to the Europeans into slavery

The Black Code Early 18th century French brought African slaves to Louisiana Soon there was enough slaves to require legislation Governor Bienville issued a set of laws called the Black Code For Slaves -Marriage, ownership of property , travel and gathering in groups were severely restricted Any attempts to escape were punished cruelly

The Black Code The Black Code did provide some protection to slaves Husbands and wives couldn’t be separated or children under the age of 14 from their parents Owners could not mistreat their slaves or free slaves when they were old or sick leaving them helpless Slaves could not be forced to work on Sundays or religious holidays A freed slave received all the privileges of any free citizen

The Black Code Fort Rosalie was a French settlement and prospered because of slave labor Slaves cleared the land and raised tobacco and indigo Some slaves helped the Natchez Indians destroy the fort in 1729 Nobody knows what happened to the slaves The French used black troops After the French lost the Natchez District to the English, the African American population grew slowly Pg 87

The Black Code At the out break of the American revolution 1 out of 5 settlers was black in Mississippi More arrived in Mississippi, during the Revolution from South Carolina as British Loyalists fled After the Revolution, The black population under Spanish rule increased, slaves soon made up 40% of the people living in the district

Cotton Production and Slave Labor Agriculture and lumber products continued to be the main occupations for slaves Food products, tobacco, indigo, and cotton provided cash income for farmers Who invented the Cotton gin and when? Eli Whitney in 1793 What did the Cotton gin do? Made it easier to separate cotton seeds from the cotton fibers

Cotton Gin in Mississippi Designs of the cotton gin were brought to Mississippi and put together by slaves They designed and built the first cotton gin Cotton became the primary cash crop in the South King Cotton is an accurate description of its importance to Mississippi

Cotton Production in Mississippi Why was Mississippi well suited to the production of cotton The land was fertile Growing season was long Many navigable streams made it economical to ship cotton Where was most cotton grown at in Mississippi? Large plantations Slave were concentrated in MS where most cotton was being produced

Working and Living conditions for Slaves Did all types of work; most tasks involved the production of cotton Land had to be cleared, and soil broken down and prepared for planting, needed to keep up with the planting(weeds, thin cotton plants), and picked Cooked and cleaned, tended livestock, made clothes, and cared for small children Skilled Slaves worked as blacksmiths carpenters, and brick masons Could be hired out to other plantations or townspeople, could earn money to buy their freedom

Working and Living conditions for Slaves Slaves were always supervised Overseer was hired if the owner did not live on the farm Slave drivers often supervised work of a group of slaves Work began at sunrise and work went until sunset Work days were longer during harvest time Women spun thread or weave cloth at night Sunday was normally a day of rest Some plantations the work week ended Saturday at noon Christmas was a holiday that lasted for several days

Working and Living conditions for Slaves Owners enforced discipline and work rules many ways Slaves could be whipped Incentives were offered for good work Extra clothing, pocket knives, time off work, party or money Ate meals together Pork, corn were most important part of diet Fruits, vegetables, game, and fish Small amount of food Basic diet wasn’t necessarily nutritious enough to maintain good health

Working and Living conditions for Slaves Medical care was provided by owners Usually a doctor was called in for major cases Medical knowledge wasn’t very advanced Treatment could do more harm than good Housing depended on the age of the plantation On a new plantation slaves houses were very simple Log cabins, no windows or floors, only furniture were bunks and chairs

Working and Living conditions for Slaves On older plantations houses were in better conditions Houses had brick chimneys, windows, wooden floors, Cabins could be made of brick Cabins were used for mainly sleeping where men, women, and children slept together without privacy Owners learned that it was better to allow families to share a cabin

Slave Community According to the law of Mississippi, slaves were considered property without rights, and specific restrictions The Black Code the French put in place no longer existed Families could be broken up at any time(parents or children) Needed written permission to leave plantation Were not supposed to learn to read or write Any gathering had to have a white observer Slaves could not testify in court

Slave Community With these restrictions, slaves struggled to create a secure and stable community Most lived on farms and plantations with more slaves which allowed them to create a small society Slave marriages had no legal basis, but strong bonds held husbands and wives and parents and children together They all looked out for each other, and did learn to read and write Slaves adopted and adapted Christianity Slave owners saw religion as a way to control slaves

Slave Resistance Slaves resisted their owners Sometimes resistance was open Owners died at slaves hands Families were poisoned at dinner Slaves ran away In 1831, Nat Turner a slave preacher, led a revolt which resulted in the death of at least sixty whites and 100 blacks Owners feared slave revolts, so much that even a rumor resulted in beatings and executions

Slave Resistance In Madison County, 1835, both slaves and owners were killed because there were fears about a revolt Ways slaves got back at their owners Valuable machinery broke down Barns, cotton gins, and bales of cotton were burned Work passed slowed

Free African Americans Not all blacks in Mississippi were slaves Most lived in towns like Natchez, and Vicksburg, and worked many different types jobs Most famous free black was William Johnson of Natchez, a barber, who owned town lots, a farm and slaves Restrictions of free blacks Slaves couldn’t be freed unless owners provided funds for the freed slaves to leave the state Slaves had to leave state unless they were granted permission to stay by the board of police

Antebellum Mississippi Society Section 4 The removal of the Choctaw and Chickasaw from Mississippi in the 1830s sparked a land boom and a population explosion 30 new counties were formed In 4 years speculators and settlers bought seven million acres of land Mississippi’s population grew more rapidly than the nation’s population

Mississippi’s Economy In antebellum Mississippi Prosperity was everywhere Land was cheap And price of cotton was high Banks extended easy credit and issued paper money far in excess of the specie (gold and Silver) in their vaults. Boom ended abruptly, followed by the most severe economic depression faced by the U.S. up to that time Andrew Jackson carried the state because he was so popular President Jackson’s policies were what brought economic disaster to Mississippi

Mississippi’s Economy Jackson battled to destroy the second Bank of the United States (1816-1836) which handled financial transactions for the federal government and issued paper money Jackson had all the federal government’s funds withdrawn and transferred to certain state banks called “pet banks” Planter’s Bank of Natchez established in 1830 was one of these pet banks These state banks increased the amount of paper money in circulation which stimulated the economy

Mississippi’s Economy These bank notes were not face value because the banks didn’t have enough specie to back them up Settlers and speculators used the bank notes to buy federal land The Specie Circular of 1836 required that government land be paid for with specie rather than paper money Distribution Act required the surplus in the federal treasury paid to states in specie When the “pet banks” could not provide the gold and silver, the banks collapsed

Mississippi’s Economy By 1837 the Planters Bank could no longer redeem its paper money with specie The Panic of 1837 led to depression of 1837-1841 Depression hit Mississippi hard Federal government foreclosed on land bought on credit Cotton prices tumbled Banks disappeared and didn’t re-open until after the Civil War Bonds guaranteed by the state were no longer valid and remain unpaid to this day Property owners lost land because they couldn’t pay their taxes

Transportation Travel and communication were slow and difficult within the state Roads were dirt, and mud A pulled wagon could only travel 20 miles a day on good condition The health of Mississippi’s economy depended on transportation Steam boats carried cotton and other goods on the Mississippi River And smaller rivers the Yazoo, Big Black, Pearl, and Tombigbee

Transportation Poor roads made travel difficult, eventually railroads solved the land transportation problems Was not easy to build railroads in Mississippi, because bridges had to be built over creeks and streams Raising money was difficult, and especially after the Panic of 1837 2 Stages of Railroad production First railroad built was to bring cotton to a river port Rails were laid in short tracks from small town to small town

Transportation Smaller town recognized the economic importance of bringing cotton to their towns So small towns tried to built railroads to Jackson Vicksburg and Jackson rail line was the most successful in the state Began operation in 1838 Second stage occurred when small railroads were combined with the main lines joining the major cities of the nation New Orleans ( where most of MS cotton was shipped) and Mobile both secured lines with the north making then important cotton towns

Education Public education developed slowly in Mississippi, because most counties couldn’t afford to spend money After 1836 the state authorized counties to fund schools By 1860 30,000 white children were attending school School terms were short rarely lasting more than 3 months Only the basics were taught reading, writing, and arithmetic High education was the responsibility of private and religious organizations

Education and Religion Southerners are known to be religious people Many Christians denominations established churches in Mississippi The largest were the Methodist and Baptists Presbyterians, and Catholics were also well established