Slavery, Sectionalism and Manifest Destiny

1. Slavery, Sectionalism and Manifest Destiny 1820-1860

2. The South and the Slavery Controversy Chapter 16

3. I. Cotton is King • After Revolution slavery faced an uncertain future, it was logical to think slavery would fade away • Invention of the cotton gin in 1793 changed that • Cotton became dominant crop in the south, created demand for labor and land • Quick profits from cotton drew planters to the Gulf South during this time • Caused economic spiral more cotton = more slaves, if you had more slaves you could buy more land • Northern shippers profited from cotton trade • They shipped it to England • Largest American export after 1840 (1/2 of world’s supply) • Southern leaders knew that cotton production was something they could hold over heads of British

4. Cotton and Slaves 1820 and 1860

5. II. The Planter Aristocracy • South was a society run be elite wealthy planters • Very few owned large amount of slaves • They had tremendous wealth, send children to schools outside of south (kept public education from gaining foothold) • Had a sense of duty to the public • Dominance by planters caused a huge gap between rich and poor • Society almost feudal (lords, manors and serfs) • Shaped the lives of women, they managed the house and the slave staff, most did not support abolition

6. III. Slaves and the Slave System • Search for quick profit led to over cultivation and degradation of the environment • Those that could not make it headed West and North (Butternuts) • Economic structure became monopolistic, land owners concentrated their holdings and bought out small farmers • Land hunger led to over speculation of lands, heavy investment in slaves caused crushing debt for many planters • Dependence on one crop put South at the mercy of the world markets, caused lack of economic diversity that effect region well into the 20th century • Resentment of the northern bankers, middlemen, businessmen intensified as they grew rich off Southern cotton and made profits selling manufactured goods to the South • Slaves and high land prices kept out European immigrants, South had little ethnic diversity

7. IV. The White Majority • 1/4 of families owned slaves • Typically small farmers (more like Midwestern or Northern farmers) • Many owned no slaves at all, they were subsistence farmers (raised corn, hogs) and lived isolated lives • Had no direct stake in slave system but supported it because there was somebody on the social ladder lower than them • Mountain whites in Appalachia disliked blacks and masters and provided strong Union support in the South during the Civil War

8. IV. Free Blacks: Slaves Without Masters • Free blacks in the Upper South (MD, VA, NC) traced origins to Revolution • Lower South most free were mulattoes, some purchased freedom • New Orleans had sizeable free, mulatto community • Seen a third race, could not hold certain occupations, vote • In the North some states would not let them live there, could not attend public schools, competed with Irish for menial jobs • Spread of slavery in new territory grew out of prejudice not humanitarianism

9. V. Plantation Slavery • Number of slaves grew during first half of 1800’s • King Cotton demanded tribute in slave labor • Some smuggled into country (made illegal 1808), most growth due to natural increase • Slaves planters biggest asset and they were treated like investments (for the most part) • Cotton boom sucked slaves from Upper to Lower South • Some states had majority African American populations • Slaves sold at auction, sometimes for bankruptcy • Led to breakup of families, became theme for Harriet Beecher Stowe and Uncle Tom’s Cabin

10. VI. Life Under the Lash • Conditions for slaves varied from region to region • No slaves had civil or political rights, no labor rights • Beatings and threat of beating substituted for wage-incentive system • Masters were never too harsh because of investment • 1860 most slaves concentrated in “black belt” across Deep South • Region was southern frontier, life was rougher than Upper South • Majority lived on plantations

11. VI. Life Under the Lash • Slaves managed to maintain family life • Kept some African traditions in marriage, descent, religion • Religion was mixture of Christian and African traditions • Focused on themes of persecution in the Bible • Call and response preaching adaptation of caller and dancers from West African traditions

12. VII. The Burdens of Bondage • Slavery denied education, did not want them to get new ideas, question position • Slaves struck back by slowing the pace of work, sabotaging equipment, took goods they produced • All wanted freedom, some ran away • Armed rebellion never worked • 1800 Gabriel Prosser(Richmond, VA), 1822 Denmark Vesey (Charleston, SC), 1831 Nat Turner • All failed, all were hung or were killed • White southerners felt like they were under siege (rebellions, abolitionist propaganda) developed theory of superiority over blacks • American South was one of the world’s last bastions of slavery

13. VIII. Early Abolitionism • First anti slavery societies appeared after Revolution, main support among Quakers • Earliest efforts were to send blacks back to Africa • 1822- American Colonization Society, founded Liberia in West Africa- 15,000 went • Most slaves did not see themselves as Africans • 1830’s slavery becomes moral crusade because of Second Great Awakening • 1833 –British abolish slavery in West Indies • Slavery became a sin • Theodore Weld and “Lane Rebels” preached anti-slavery gospel across Old Northwest

14. IX. Radical Abolitionism • 1831- William Lloyd Garrison publishes first issue of The Liberator, a militantly anti slavery newspaper based in Boston • 1833- American Antislavery society founded • Black Abolitionists – David Walker (promoted bloody end to slavery), Sojourner Truth (advocate for emancipation and women’s rights) • Fredrick Douglass – best known black abolitionist, escaped slave • Wrote Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, detailed his early life and escape

15. IX. Radical Abolitionism • Differences between Garrison and Douglass • Garrison known as inflexible, self righteous, impractical • Provided no alternative to country without slavery • Denounced politics • Many abolitionist questioned the role of women (Garrison supported women) • Douglass- used politics to end slavery • New political parties emerge in 1840’s based on abolition of slavery • Liberty Party (1840), Free Soil Party (1848), Republican Party (1850’s)

16. X. The South Lashes Back • Before 1830’s some antislavery sentiment in the south • 1831 publication of Liberator, Nat Turner Rebellion, Nullification Crisis of 1832 • All turned tide in South • White southerners saw threat to way of life, began to defend slavery • Justifications- supported by Bible, good for civilization depraved Africans, master- slave relationship was like a family (contrasted with industrial wage earners in northern factories) • 1836 Southerners in House pass Gag Resolution, tables all debate on slavery (defied by John Quincy Adams) • Postmasters given permission to destroy abolitionist material across South • Widened gap between north and south

17. XI. Abolitionist Impact in the North • Abolitionists unpopular in many parts of the north • Seen as too radical • Heavy economic stake in south; cotton production for factories, money owed to northern banks • Abolitionists seen as rocking the boat • Mobs attacked abolitionists • By 1850’s issue of territorial expansion, other factors put many in north on side of abolitionists

18. Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy Chapter 17

19. Gone to Texas • Americans want Texas, remote backwater of Spanish Empire • US abandoned claim in 1819 • 1823- new Mexican government gives land to Stephen Austin to bring settlers • 2 conditions settlers had to become Mexican citizens, become Catholic • Ignored by settlers, annoyed by presence of Mexican soldiers and government • Settlers typical American individualist, did not want to be pushed around • Slavery an issue, outlawed in Mex., settlers brought slaves anyway • 1836 Mex. Leader Santa Ana attempts to repress Texans independence

20. The Lone Star Rebellion • Early 1836 Texans declare independence • Santa Anna attacks Alamo and Goliad become rallying cries for Texans, galvanized Americans behind Texas cause • Gen. Sam Houston lures Mexicans east to San Jacinto (near present day Houston), and defeats Santa Anna • Forces Santa Anna to sign treaty giving land to Rio Grande to Texas and removing troops from region • Mex. Does not recognize agreement • Texas becomes an independent republic but wanted to be part of the United States • Refused admission, abolitionists did want new slave state • Seen as a plot against slavery to Southerners

21. I. The Accession of “Tyler Too” • 1840’s territorial expansion dominated politics, diplomacy • War with Mexico, gained territory from Texas to California and questions of status of slavery • 1841 William Henry Harrison (Whig) elected and died in office • Real leaders of Whigs Clay, Webster tried to push agenda, thwarted by John Tyler (VP, now president) • Tyler supporter of states rights • Clay and others tried to push nationalistic political agenda • Whigs pushed for new bank, tariffs; all vetoed by Tyler

22. II. War of Words with Britain • British looked down on Americans, increased tension with America • Americans borrowed extensively from British banks (many defaulted on loans during Panic of 1837) • 1837 Caroline incident with Canada, 1841 slaves offered asylum in Bahamas (southern fear of Caribbean becoming haven for escaped slaves), 1842 border disputes in Maine (settled by Webster- Ashburton Treaty)

23. III. Texas and Oregon • 1836- Texas achieves independence, not recognized by Mexico • Britain, France interested in Texas as place for cotton production, check American power • Texas as independent nation threatened US • Presidential campaign 1844 issue of expansion • Texas annexed by joint resolution of Congress 1844 • James K. Polk won election on expansion platform • Texas became state 1845 • Oregon • enormous wilderness • Claimed by many different countries until 1825, then only US and Britain • British claims based on occupation • American claims based on exploration and occupation • 1830’s American missionaries settle Willamette Valley, stimulates interest of Americans • 1840’s number of Americans increases, came over Oregon Trail • British had few settlers, weaker claim than Americans

24. IV. Manifest Destiny and the Election of 1844 • Election of 1844 between Henry Clay and James Polk • Major election issue Manifest Destiny • Feeling that America’s duty was to spread ideals of democracy across continent (idea of expansion and liberty) • Expansion ignored national boundaries, came at the expense of others • Expansionist Democrats won election felt they had a mandate to take Texas and Oregon • New President James K. Polk had 4 point program – lower tariff, create independent treasury, acquire Oregon and California • 1846 US and Britain compromise on Oregon territory border (dying fur trade made British lose interest in Oregon)

25. V. War with Mexico • Americans wanted San Francisco and San Diego Bays as ports on Pacific and to expand American trade to Asia • Americans saw weakness in Mexican control of borderlands • Polk eager to buy California, Mexicans would not sell • Wanted California to balance admission of Texas with a free state • US/Mexico issues over boundary of Texas • Mexican claim was boundary at Nueces River, American claim was Rio Grande • Rumors of British wanting to purchase California, could not be tolerated under Monroe doctrine • 1846 Polk sends troops to Texas, march from Nueces River to Rio Grande • April 1846 US soldiers killed and Polk asks for war, Congress overwhelmingly supports it

26. V. War with Mexico • Many northerners and Whigs saw this as a land grab and war for extension of slavery • Lincoln (then Rep. from Illinois) pushes “spot resolutions” to show where blood was shed on American soil • Both sides wanted war, America to teach Mexicans a lesson, Mexicans saw US a bully to the north • South and West supported war • The US unprepared for the war. Ill equipped volunteers filled the American army • Advantages over the Mexican military that had outdated equipment and little motivation to fight. • American industrial base to prepare and equip an army, superior leadership • United States won easily over the Mexican forces in 1847 • California- John Fremont led a revolt against Mexican rule and declared the state “The Bear Flag Republic”

27. V. War with Mexico • 1848- War ended with Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo • Gave US vast new territory, paid Mexico $15 million dollars for land • Many Americans thought that US should not stop with Mexico • European countries had new respect for American military • The Mexican American War was a blatant war of conquest that would have occurred through migration eventually • The war also trained the next generation of generals (Lee, Grant) to fight America’s next war – the Civil War • Turning point in US relations with Latin America, became suspicious of “Colossus of the North” • War aroused issue of slavery and its expansion • 1846- David Wilmot tries to introduce amendment that slavery should not exist in new territory, never passed the Senate but symbolized issue of slavery in territories (Wilmot Proviso)