The Plantation South

EQ: How did cotton affect the social and economic life of the South?

How did Americans moving west intensify the debate over slavery?

The Life of a Slave

Based on the movie clip jot down information describing the plantation South and the life of a slave.

What is your plan to convince the south to end slavery?

Early Emancipation in the North

Early Emancipation in the North

The Cotton Kingdom

Even though the North became industrialized, the South remained rural

Boom in textiles increased demand for cotton and cotton gin made it even more profitable

Cotton became greatest source of wealth for all U.S.From 1790-1820 cotton production

increased ten-foldFrom 1790-1860 the number of slaves

went from 698,000 to 4 million

Changes in Cotton Production

Changes in Cotton Production

1820

1860

Value of Cotton Exports As % of All US Exports

Value of Cotton Exports As % of All US Exports

“Cotton Kingdom” – Area were owners of large plantation dominated society and lived in luxury

Southern Society (1850)

Southern Society (1850)“Slavocracy”

[plantation owners]

The “Plain Folk”[white yeoman farmers]

6,000,000

Black Freemen

Black Slaves3,200,000

250,000

Total US Population 23,000,000[9,250,000 in the South = 40%]

Southern PopulationSouthern Population

Slave-Owning Population (1850)

Slave-Owning Population (1850)

AF AM in the South

Restrictions on Free AF AMAbout 6% of AF AM in South were freeLaws restricted their lives

Excluded from all but lowest jobs, barred from public education, could not vote, serve on juries, or testify

Were restricted from travelingOften kidnapped and sold into slavery

AF AM in the South

Life Under SlaverySlave Codes controlled

all aspects of slave lives Slaves legally

considered property rather than humans

Majority did heavy labor all day in fields with overseer giving punishment for offenses

Slave MasterBrands

Slave muzzle

Slave tag, SCSlave leg irons

Slave shoes

AF AM in the South

Others were skilled workers, housekeepers, butlers, nannies, etc.

Families were often broken apart through sales

Illegal to import enslaved Africans to U.S. after 1808

Customs passed down through the generations

Blended Biblical themes with realities of slavery to compose spirituals

Resistance to Slavery

Many showed resistance through disobedience or breaking equipment

Others fled to North

Quilt Patterns as Secret Messages

Quilt Patterns as Secret Messages

The Monkey Wrench pattern, on the left, alerted escapees to gather up tools and prepare to flee; the Drunkard Path design, on the right, warned escapees not to follow a straight route.

Resistance to Slavery

Most famous slave revolt led by Nat Turner in 1831Killed about 60 whitesMany innocent AF AM killed in reprisal

Life of a Slave: Your Homework

Document A: Henry Clay BruceDocument B: William WellsDocument C: Cornella (slave lady) & Mrs. Ann

Tanner

Crash Course in History: Slavery

Please answer the questions to the Crash Course in History: Slavery summary.

This will serve as a quiz grade; please do not share answers or your paper will be taken from you and you will receive a “0”.

Enjoy!Link to Crash Course in History: Slavery

The Extension of Slavery

Slave and Free StatesIn 1819 nation had a balance of 11 ‘free states’

and 11 ‘slave states’Missouri sought admission to the Union as a ‘slave

state’Northerners were against this because

Would spread slaveryWould make the South more powerful than the North

The Extension of Slavery

The Missouri CompromiseMaine applied for admission as a free state which

would balance the numberMissouri Compromise

Proposed by Henry ClayPermitted Maine admitted as free and Missouri as slaveProvided everything new territory north of the southern

edge of Missouri be admitted as freeGave slave owners right to pursue escaped slaves in

“free” states

The Extension of Slavery

Continuing ProblemSoutherners angry that the Congress had given

itself the power to make laws regarding slaveryNortherners angry that slavery was extended into

another state