Chapter 19Chapter 19African-Americans at African-Americans at Mid-CenturyMid-Century

North and South, Slave and North and South, Slave and FreeFree

Location determined African-American living conditions

Free blacks had SOME rights; slaves had NONE

Slaves’ Legal StatusSlaves’ Legal Status

Slaves were property; slaveholders had complete control

Beaten, sold, even kill slaves

Slaves have nothing

Rural and Urban Slaves

Majority of slaves worked in rural setting

Small number of slaves worked in cities; did not get to keep their wages

Urban slaves had more “freedom” than rural slaves

Free Blacks in the South, part 1

Free blacks held normal jobs

Free blacks viewed as dangerous; had restricted rights

No guns, could not travel freely, certain jobs off limits

Free Blacks in the South, part 2

Had more rights than southern blacks, but not equality

Discrimination – unequal treatment based on race, gender, religion, etc.

Segregation – separation of groups based on race

Free Blacks in the South, part 2

Difficult to find jobs; worked low paying jobs

Denied entry into churches

Organized to protest unfair treatment: National Council of Colored People

NAACP – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (founded in 1909; first use of ‘people of color)

Economics of Slavery, part 1

Only a small number of farmers/planters owned slaves

Cotton influenced slavery

Cotton made many southern wealthy

Cotton gave southern states economic strength

Economics of Slavery, part 2

Economy depended on slaves to harvest cotton

Slaves became more valuable as cotton prices rose

Increased value led to better treatment of slaves

Expanding market prevented slaves from ever earning freedom

Controlling Slaves, part 1

Slavery only worked if slaves were forced to submit

Physical punishment was often avoided; left slaves less likely to work

Slaves treated as children; forced to depend on owners

Slaves knew nothing of outside life

Slave-breakers taught slaves to obey

Controlling Slaves, part 2

Fear, violence, and overwork used to break slaves

Slaves never know how long they would work or when the next beating was coming

Idea was to keep slaves tired, hopeless, and broken