1. The Peculiar Institution: Southern Slavery
Chapter 18
The Peculiar Institution:
Southern Slavery

2. Southern Antislavery Emancipation in early Republic
North uses gradual emancipation
South sees some support for emancipation
Southerners on slavery and abolition
South fears moral consequences
South sees blacks as inferior
South fears large black population
South sees themselves as protectors

3. Southern Antislavery (cont.’d)
American Colonization Society
Encourages owners to free slaves
Encourages emigration to Liberia
Unrealistic due to numbers
Little support among African Americans
The last debate, December 1831
Virginia considers gradual abolition
Seriously debates issues
Loses by fairly close margin
Last rational southern debate on issue

4. Threats to Southern Order
Fear of rebellion
Haiti revolt, 1798
Gabriel plans revolt, 1800
Denmark Vesey plans revolt, 1822
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
Turner: literate, religious fanatic, slave
Turner’s visions inspire revolt
Rebels kill 60 whites; revolt ends
South becomes terrified of revolts

5. The South Closes Ranks South protects “peculiar institution”
South insulated from outside ideas
South depicts slavery as a positive good
South reforms slave codes
Suppression
Distribution of abolitionist literature forbidden
Passage of “gag rule” in House of Representatives
Slavery as a “positive good”
Thomas Roderick Dew: superior labor system
John C. Calhoun: “a positive good”
George Fitzhugh, sociologist
A Sociology for the South
Slaves have better life than northern laborers
Slaves cared for all of their lives

6. The South Closes Ranks (cont.’d)
The Bible, the Ancients and Culture
Stated Bible approved slavery
Pointed to great Greek and Roman societies having slaves
More southerners college educated
Believed descendents of aristocracy
Race as Trump Card
Fitzhugh again said slavery protected blacks
Josiah Nott measured skull size to try and justify
Slave management
New emphasis on providing basic necessities to slaves
Healthy slaves provide better workers
Better treatment also response to abolitionists

7. The South Closes Ranks (cont.’d)
Slave control
Harder to set slaves free
Illegal to teach slaves to read
Slave patrols keep slaves on plantation
Masters control religious teachings

8. “What was slavery like?”
Conflicting images of slavery
Romantic view of warmth between master and slave
Abolitionist view of horrible inhumane acts
Minstrel “blackface” performers
Provide light entertainment
Perform songs in dialect
Project racist stereotypes
Depict slaves as carefree
Stephen Foster
Composer, romanticizes slavery in song
Depicts warm relationships
Creates nostalgia for Old South

9. What was Slavery like? (cont.’d)
Slave traders
Slaves chattel property
Slave trade very ugly
Slave auctions very crude
Trade flows from upper to lower South

10. Life in the Quarters Life in the quarters Slaves have no civil rights
Cannot own property, marry, learn to read
Cannot leave plantation, congregate, etc.
Rights only to life and minimum subsistence

11. Life in the Quarters Humans Without Rights Diverse Institution
Master cannot legally kill slave
Slave dying during punishment not murder
Whipping most common punishment
Slaves too expensive to mistreat to point of death
Diverse Institution
Many owners maintain higher standards of treatment
Small owners often develop “partnership” with slaves
Rations tend to be better on large plantations
Some masters permit slaves more rights

12. Protest Slaves found ways to protest Runaways constant problem
Malingering normal
Thieving common
Runaways constant problem
Clear indication of slave discontent
Success hard outside of border states
Underground railway
Harriet Tubman

13. Protest (cont.’d) Most slaves Protestant Christians
Typically Baptist or Methodist
Identify with ancient Hebrews
Express discontent in sermons, spirituals
Protest through folk tales
Br’er Rabbit stories (Uncle Remus)
Roots in West African folklore
Weak outwit the strong

14. Protest (cont.’d) The slave community
Slaves present different face to whites
Slave family vital force
Two-parent families typical
Slave population grew through reproduction

15. ©2004 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc
©2004 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning™ is a trademark used herein under license.
Map 18:1 – Liberia Founded 1821

16. Discussion Questions
Describe and explain how southerners justified slavery.
Examine slave rebellions in American history. Why were Southerners so afraid of slave rebellion? Were any of these rebellions successful?
What was the gag rule? How and why were southern politicians so willing to curtail all discussion of slavery?
What steps were slave-owners willing to go to control slaves? How effective were these methods?