1. South and the Slavery Controversy
Chapter 16

2. Cotton Kingdom
Eli Whitney’s cotton gin in 1793 made slavery profitable again
Created a cycle of need for land/slaves/profit
“Cotton Kingdom” – referred to political and economic system that develops in deep south where all aspects of society revolved around production and sale of cotton.
Northern shipping benefitted from the transportation of cotton, manufacturing relied on cheap cotton to make cloth in textile factories
75 % of cotton used in British textile mills came from the South
50% of value of all US exports were from cotton by 1840
Half of world’s cotton came from South, gave South confidence that Britain would support South in the event of war
Quick profits led to poor agricultural techniques that exhausted land
Created demand for access to new land
Forced small farmers to sell out to large plantation owners
Encouraged over-speculation of land and slaves which created financial instability
Dependence on single cash crop also destabilized southern economy

3. Planter Aristocracy
Slaves were in all states, but by 1850, mostly only in South
Planter Aristocracy
Only 1,733 families owned more than 100 slaves
345,000 families owned fewer than 100 slaves
Only 25% of whites owned slaves
Controlled political and social worlds of South
Stereotypical manor house, Southern “culture”
Educated elite developed sense of obligation to serve public, resulted in emphasis on governmental and military service
Huge gap between wealthy and poor whites
Medieval type society existed
Total Population

4. Slave System
Cotton Kingdom discouraged development of manufacturing and diversification which made South dependent on North
Slavery discouraged European immigration
Increased Anglo-Saxon Protestant homogeneity
Small slave owning farms were similar to northern farms
¾ of whites did not own slaves
“rednecks, hillbilly, crackers” – operated on barter, subsistence economy
Supported slavery as part of “American Dream”
Southerners believed slavery was only way whites and blacks could live together
Did not want blacks mixing in white society

5. Slave System
Most free blacks were mulattoes, some had purchased freedom
In both the North and South blacks:
Could not serve on a jury, Be a government official, Attend white churches, school, Were denied good jobs, eventually were not allowed to be taught to read or write
African slave trade ended in 1808; so slave population maintained through reproduction
Slaves were significant financial investment, owners would hire poor Irish or whites for dangerous work
Slave auctions and trade were dehumanizing, families were split, slaves were treated like livestock
Quality of life of slaves was very different depending on owner, location and size of farm on which they worked
Field slave vs House slave; overseer; driver
Slaves were whipped as punishment or form of control
Slave family, religion, culture survived and developed
Spirituals, Br’er Rabbit (trickster) stories , interpretations of Christianity

6. Slave Resistance Runaway
Underground Railroad – informal organization that helped slaves escape to Canada and North
Harriet Tubman was one of most famous leaders
Sabotage
Slaves work slowly, break tools, perform incompetently to avoid tasks
Fed to Southern white prejudice that blacks are stupid and lazy
Haitian Revolution ( )
Denmark Vesey
Free black led slave revolt in South Carolina (1822)
Nat Turner
Black preacher led revolt in Virginia (1831)
Revolts and fears of revolts led to passage of more strict slave codes

7. Abolitionism Northern attitude
Abolitionists want to end slavery because morally wrong
Some want to end slavery because feel it slows economic growth
Quakers were early leaders of abolitionism
Abolitionists tried to tie movement to Christianity
Focused on the most violent, horrific stories of slavery
Second Great Awakening inspired movement to abolitionism
Hatred of slavery led to hatred of all Southerners
Message spread through books and newspapers

8. Early Abolitionism American Colonization Society (1817)
Organization designed to send African Americans back to Africa
Many blacks did not want to go to Africa – many had only lived in America
Sierra Leone (1792) was established in Western Africa by British for Black Loyalists and former slaves
Liberia (1822) was established in Western Africa by Americans for former slaves
Southern abolitionists felt pressure to move north
1833 – South turned away from all reforms in fear it would lead to abolitionism

9. Abolitionists
Theodore Dwight Weld – wrote books describing horror stories of slavery (American Slavery as It Is 1839). Appealed to rural. Attended Lane Theological Seminary
Elijah Parrish Lovejoy – had newspaper criticizing slavery, was killed because of it
William Lloyd Garrison
- wrote The Liberator which criticized slavery.
Created American Anti-Slavery Society (1833) with Wendell Phillips.
Very stubborn and not willing to compromise.
Took morally righteous stands and interested in “values” opposed to more pragmatic compromises

10. Abolitionists David Walker
Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World (1829)
Advocated violent overthrow of racist system
Sojourner Truth
Argued for black emancipation and women’s rights
Martin Delaney
Supported African recolonization
Frederick Douglass
Escaped slave
Successful public speaker, very popular in the elite abolitionist societies
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845) tells of his journey from slavery to freedom and education
Supported political solutions to end slavery

11. Uncle Tom’s Cabin Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Stowe lived in Cincinnati and saw slaves fleeing from South
1852 Uncle Tom’s Cabin was released told of slaves Tom who was abused by master and Eliza who attempted to escape
Became huge success in north – best seller
Sold 300,000 copies
Encouraged northerners to be against slavery
Made whites in north see slaves as people
Book argued that northerners were responsible to protect freedom of blacks
Made southerners very angry
Considered it propaganda

12. Southern Response
Southern abolitionism existed and encouraged emancipation until early 1830s
Virginia Emancipation Debate (1831-2) led to stricter slave codes
Nat Turner’s revolt
Scared most people through the south
Believed it was supported by abolitionists in the North