Chapter 11 Slavery and the Old South

1. Chapter 11Slavery and the Old South The American People, 6th ed.

2. Building a Diverse Cotton Kingdom

3. The Expansion of Slavery in a Global Economy • In 1860 the American South, if independent, would have been one of the wealthiest countries in the world based on the revenue of the cotton trade. • Cotton cultivation and its expansion depended on technological development, land, labor, demand, and a global system of trade.

6. Slavery in Latin America • Europeans depended on African slavery in their New World colonies. • African slaves were imported to replace the indigenous populations that were eradicated by disease. • Sugar production was the cash crop for the Latin American holdings of the European powers.

7. White and Black Migrations in the South • Between 1830 and 1860, southerners began to migrate in a southwest direction to fill up the fertile land and increase cotton production for the mills of England. • The center of cotton production gradually shifted from South Carolina to Mississippi. • An estimated 1 million slaves were transported westward by this white migration.

9. Paternalism and Honor in the Planter Class • Most Southern males adhered to a long-standing tradition of medieval chivalry and aversion to industrialization. • The Southern planters developed a paternalistic attitude towards his slaves; a kindly father-and-child relationship. • An intensely masculine code of honor placed the virtue of women on a pedestal. • The smallest insult could lead to pistol duels.

10. Yeoman Farmers • Most slaveholders (70 percent) belonged to the mid-level yeoman farmer class. • A Yeoman farmer might have owned as many as ten slaves, but usually work alongside them. • 75 percent of all southerners held no slaves at all.

13. Justifying Slavery • Biblical Justification: ancient curse upon Ham, a child of Noah and other references • Historical Justification: all great civilizations participated in slavery • Legal Justification: the U.S. Constitution refused to address slavery directly • Scientific Justification: multiple theories regarding inferiority of the black race • Sociological Justification: the black race as societal “children” that needed paternalistic guidance

14. Daily Toil • Slaves were expected to work an average of 14 hours per day during warm weather and 10 hours in the winter. • Work gangs of 20 to 25 slaves labored under the whip of a “slave driver.” • The task system allowed slaves to finish a designated task each day at their own pace. • A normal slave was expected to pick 130 to 150 pounds of cotton a day.

16. Slave Law and the Family • The legal status of slaves in the South was never fully resolved, leading to a wide range of laws governing the treatment of African Americans. • Marriages between slaves were often arranged for optimal genetic reproduction. • Slave families were often separated.

17. Black Christianity • Christian worship was an integral part of life in the slave quarters. • Black Christianity often included aspects of Islamic and African religions. • Black religious gatherings were usually forbidden unless a white overseer was present. • For the white planters, religion became a type of social control.

18. The Enduring Family • Family relationships were central to the lives of most slaves. • Slaves could draw love, protection, support, knowledge, and cultural identity from these extended families. • Slaves often performed extra work to provide extra food and clothing for their families.

19. Forms of Black Protest • Daily acts of resistance might include breaking of tools, burning houses or crops, stealing food, self mutilation or simple work slowdowns. • Females might fake sickness or menstrual cramps. • The ultimate forms were murder or running away.