Ch. 11 Cotton, Slavery, & the Old South

BELL RINGER

“From the rattle with which the nurse tickles the ear of the child born in the South to the shroud that covers the cold form of the dead, everything comes to us from the North.”

1) Interpret the meaning behind this quote.

KING COTTONDecline in other crops

1)Tobacco- Exhausts soil, unstable2)Rice- Long growing seasons3)Sugar- Expensive, lots of competition4) Long-staple cotton- Growth in certain areas

Solution: Short-Staple Cotton*Grow in variety of climates and soilsCotton becomes known as: King of the South

COTTON SPREADS WESTWARD Cotton production explodes Cotton production moves to Mississippi,

Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, etc… Cotton $200 mill vs. Rice $2 mill annually-Send most of it to Britain

“Cotton is King” Popular in the “lower south” or “Deep

South”

INC COTTON = INC SLAVERY

Huge growth in slavery results from the increase in cotton production.

p.299

SOUTHERN TRADE AND INDUSTRY Weak manufacturing sector Brokers were known as “factors” Basic financial system limits the south. Most financing through the planters Poor Transportation system(few canals, railroads, telegraph

systems)

DEBOW’S REVIEW

This magazine stated“I think it would be safe to estimate the

amount which is lost to us annually by our vassalage to the North at $100,000,000.

WHY NOT GROW INDUSTRIALLY? Why didn’t the South grow industrially?

REASONS FOR LACK OF INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

North turned to industry for income-South had agriculture. Southern investors put almost all of

their $ into land and slaves Poor climate for industry Cultural reasons

WHITE’S IN THE SOUTH Few whites actually owned slaves Even fewer owned large plantations

Planter Aristocracy- So wealthy and powerful, they control the south politically, economically, etc…

Planters not “cavalier”, had to manage their plantation very wisely.

CODE OF ETHIC Honor- Dueling

Southern Lady- Similar to middle class northern women

Paternalism: Submit to husband Birthrate stayed higher in the south.

THE “PLAIN FOLK” Most southerners were just simple

farmers Owned few slaves Horrible education system “hill people” live in the Appalachian “cracker” – non-landing owning

whites*Poor tied to Planters? Why??

WHAT KEEPS WHITES CONTENT? From childhood, the one thing in their

condition which has made life valuable to the mass of whites has been that the niggers are yet their inferiors.”

What does this mean?

THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY “Peculiar Institution”- Distinctive or

special-Continually had to defend slavery Kept the south isolated Increased isolation = increased

dependence on slavery.

VARIETIES OF SLAVERYEstablish slave codes

Slaves could not…-hold property-leave master’s premises without permission-be out after dark-carry firearm-congregate except for church-strike a white person, even in self-defense-learn to read or write-testify in court against whites-marry or divorce

Enforcement was inconsistent

SLAVE WORK DAY

Two Main Methods1)Assigned a task in the morning and

free after the task was complete2) Gang system- Divided in groups and

worked for as long as the overseer wanted.

They were led by the “driver”

HOUSE SLAVES Less physical work More detrimental mentally Sexual Abuse was common

SLAVE TRADE Domestic trade- Slaves would be sold

state to state like cattle. Very Dehuminizing

TWO TYPES OF SLAVES “Sambo”- Smiling, head-scratching, do

what whites want slave. Slave rebel- Revolt or resist whites

RESISTANCE: Work slowdowns, sabotage, escape, & revolt

Uprisings:- Charlestown- Denmark Vesey in 1822-Viriginia- Nat Turner in 1831- Killed 60 whites Quickly put down Gave hope to slaves Tightened slave codes.

SLAVE CULTURE African-American Religion Family Language Music Marriages Etc…