Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South Explain the significance of cotton and the cotton gin to the South. Describe what life was like for free and enslaved African Americans in the South. Objectives

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South Terms and People cotton gin – a machine that used a spiked cylinder to remove seeds from cotton fibers slave code – laws that controlled every aspect of the lives of enslaved African Americans spiritual – a religious folk song that blended biblical themes with the realities of slavery Nat Turner – a slave who led a famous slave revolt in 1831

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South How did cotton affect the social and economic life of the South? A boom in textiles caused by the Industrial Revolution created a huge demand for cotton. The South’s economy became dependent on cotton, and cotton plantations became dependent on slave labor.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South The South remained largely rural as its plantations grew wealthy from the cotton trade. In the North, the Industrial Revolution caused industry, immigration, and cities to grow.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. Before the introduction of the cotton gin, laborers had to pick seeds out of the cotton by hand, which was a very slow process. The cotton gin greatly sped up the processing of cotton and made it much more profitable.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South In 1790, planters grew 1.5 million pounds of cotton, but by 1820, they grew ten times as much.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South Cotton became the greatest source of wealth for the United States, enriching: Southern planters Northern bankers and ship owners

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South To keep up with the demand for cotton and the new ability to process it quickly, planters used more slave labor. From 1790 to 1860, the price of a slave increased ten or twenty times.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South Enslaved African Americans had no rights at all, and their lives were controlled by slave codes.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South Lives of Enslaved African Americans in the South TasksSome enslaved African Americans worked in their owners’ homes. Most did heavy farm labor. Working conditions Some slave holders worked slaves almost to death and whipped them as punishment for many offenses. Most owners saw their slaves as valuable property and tried to keep them healthy so they would be productive. FamiliesOwners often broke apart slave families by selling family members.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South Many African Americans found messages of hope in the Bible, and they composed spirituals. Enslaved African Americans passed on African customs, music, and dance to their children.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South In 1831, Nat Turner said he was told to kill whites in a vision. He led a famous, but doomed, slave revolt. Many enslaved African Americans resisted slave holders by working slowly, breaking equipment, fleeing to freedom in the north, and rebelling. Whites retaliated by killing many innocent African Americans.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South By the 1830s, some northerners were pushing for slavery to be banned. After 1808, it was illegal to import enslaved Africans to the United States.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South Supporters of slavery said that it was more humane than the free labor system of the North. Critics of slavery said that slaves suffered abuse from white owners.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South Most southern whites accepted the system of slavery, fearing violent uprisings would follow if control over slaves was weakened.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South About 6 percent of the 4 million African Americans in the South were free. Norbert Rillieux improved sugar refining. Many of the free African Americans made valuable contributions to southern life: Henry Blair invented a seed-planting device.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South Obstacles Faced by Free African Americans in the South JobsFree African Americans were given only the most menial jobs. TravelThey were discouraged from traveling. EducationTheir children could not attend public schools. Political Rights They could not vote, serve on juries, or testify against white defendants in court. LibertySlave catchers often kidnapped them and sold them into slavery.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South But more than half of all southern farmers did not have slaves. In the southern “Cotton Kingdom,” society was dominated by a small group of wealthy plantation owners. Instead of growing cotton, these people often grew corn and raised hogs and chickens.

Chapter 11 Section 3 The Plantation South Differences Between Southern States Alabama, Mississippi, and Like States States that depended heavily on cotton had large populations of enslaved people. Kentucky and Like States States that grew less cotton had smaller populations of enslaved people.

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