CHAPTER 8: SECTION 2
B Y : J A K E D I C U F F A , B R E N D A N C H E R R E Y , A N D
B R I A N A S T A P L E T O N

• James Forten, a wealthy leader amongst the free blacks of Philadelphia, strongly believed that he was an American which led him to oppose both the effort to resettle free blacks in Africa and slavery.

• By the 1820s over 100 antislavery societies promoted the resettling of blacks in Africa since African Americans were viewed as an inferior race that could not coexist with white society
• During this time there was an increasing number of whites, such as Charles G. Finney, joining African Americans in public criticism against slavery

• The most radical white abolitionist of this time was William
Lloyd Garrison who abdicated for immediate emancipation in his own paper, The Liberator.
• Garrison established both the New England Anti-Slavery
Society in 1832 and the American Anti-Slavery Society a year later

• David Walker, a free black man, advised African Americans to fight for freedom rather than wait for the slave owners to abolish of slavery
• By the 1850s, only the lowest-paying jobs were designated to the 434,000 free blacks in the South, as well as all those in the
North

• Frederick Douglass, a slave born in 1817, was taught to read and write by the wife of one of his owners against his master’s will
• Frustrated that he was not able to keep any of his earnings,
Douglass borrowed the identity of a free black sailor to escape to freedom in New York
• Douglass was inspired by Garrison to create his own newspaper, called The North Star, in which he promoted the ideals of the Anti-Slavery Society

• Slavery continued to be a controversial issue in the 1830’s. Slave population growth had nearly doubled between the years of 1810 and 1830 from 1.2 million to 2 million
• In the past, slaves usually arrived from the Caribbean or Africa and generally spoke several non-English languages
(this made communicating with farmers difficult).
• In 1830, however, Africans born into
American slavery quickly adapted to the English language and culture.
• Plantations in the mid-18 th century drastically changed a typical slave life.

LIFE UNDER SLAVERY-
• A. Rural Slavery
1.
Men, women, and children endured harsh labor from sun up to sun down
2.
Slaves worked faster with the possibility of a whipping hanging over their heads if they messed up
3.
In the 1850’s, most slaves lived on plantations that only enslaved ten or more slaves. Others worked alongside their masters on small farms or in the city.

LIFE UNDER SLAVERY-
B. Urban Slavery
1.
In the 1830’s, there was a shortage of white laborers in the mining and lumber industries due to the increase of
Southern white families who changed to farming.
1.
This lead to a raise in the demand for slaves as workers in mills and on ships
2.
Slaves with specialized skills were in higher demand than the average worker (ex. Blacksmithing or carpentry)
3.
In 1850, 2.8 million slaves lived rurally compared with the
400,000 slaves who worked in city areas.
4.
Enslaved blacks could hire themselves as artisans in the
South more commonly than free blacks could in the prejudice North.

LIFE UNDER SLAVERY-
B. Urban Slavery cont.
5. Enslaved women and children carried out the same duties as men slaves.
6. Commonly, slave owners would “hire out” their slaves to factories where the slave owner collected the pay of their slave without having to watch them closely.
7. Despite their differences, urban slaves and rural slaves were both determined to earn their freedom.

NAT TURNER’S
REBELLION
C. Nat Turner’s Rebellion
1. In Southampton County,
VA, Nat Turner and a group of 80 followers lead their people out of bondage.
2. In August, 1831, Turner and his people managed to attack 4 plantations and kill almost 60 white people before being captured by
State troops.
3. After being caught, Turner was tried and hanged.
4. In retaliation, white people killed as many as 200 blacks who had no involvement with Turner’s
Rebellion.
5. This uprising influenced
Southern whites to defend slavery and control their slaves.

• After the Turner Rebellion, some believed that the only way to prevent a similar event is making slaves free, while others believe that restrictions should be tightened on the slave population.
A. Virginia Debate
• Governor John Floyd of Virginia states that a law should be passed to gradually abolish slavery
• Slavery becomes a largely debated topic in the state legislature
• Motion passed to abolish slavery, lost 73-58.
• Debate on slavery closed for the antebellum period after abolishment was voted down

• Whites fear future slave revolts
• Slave owners believe education and privilege inspire revolt
• Slave owners push for laws to tighten controls on slaves, later known as slave codes
• Ex. 1833, Alabama forbids free and enslaved blacks from preaching unless “respectable” slaveholders are present.
George follows suit
• Ex. 1835, North Carolina is last southern state to deny the vote for free blacks.
• Some blacks from other states lose right to own guns, purchase alcohol, assemble in public, or testify in court.
Right town own property, read, write, or work as carpenter or blacksmith also vanquished.

• Some advocates of slavery site the bible in support of slavery
• Slave owners argue that blacks benefit because the become part of a prosperous Christian civilization
• Christian ministers of south become more accepting of slavery
• “The Happy Slave”
• North blacks work for pennies in dark airless factories
• Black workers can be fired, southerners care for their slaves for a lifetime. Cherished addition to plantation family

• Abolitionists continue to campaign for black freedom
• Tactic invented to swamp congress with petitions
• Southern representatives counter with the Gag Rule, which limited and prevented debate on an issue to deprive the citizens’ petitions from being heard
• Gag Rule eventually repealed in 1844