
Blum - “What gave the old South its special identity?...Not physical isolation..not a difference in population origin..not contrasts in religious and political philosophy...not even the economics of the North and the South were all together dissimilar...few Southern farmers benefited from the national market economy ...wealth was less evenly distributed...less money was invested in education...fewer towns and industry developed...but all of these were of secondary importance..by far the most significant difference was the presence and survival in the South of Negro slavery..”

      “It was all about States rights, not slavery” “Northern aggression started the war” “Everyone in the South owned slaves” “Most Southerners didn’t own slaves, so they couldn’t have fought to preserve slavery” “The war was started to end slavery” “The North was full of abolitionists and non racists”

 1790 – seen as a dying institution  “peculiar institution” or necessary evil  Cotton gin makes it profitable  South source of 80% of Britain’s cotton  King Cotton
Year
1800 1820 1840 1860
Amount (lbs)
17 million 127 million 743 million 1.7 billion
% of exports
7 32 51 57

       short staple cotton replaces long staple cotton increases the area in which cotton could be profitably grown extension of cotton growing regions westward as land gave out expansion of slavery slave trade had been banned in 1808 slave trade still carried on though until 1860 - though some say as few as 50,000 new slaves entered during the period slave breeding became a primary occupation in Upper South

 Planter aristocracy  1850 only 254 people owned 200+ slaves  Estates 1000-2000 acres in size  Dominant minority ▪ 1733 owned 100 or more ▪ 6196 50-99 ▪ 29733 20-49 ▪ 54595 10-19 ▪ 80765 5-9 ▪ 105683 ▪ 68820 1 2-4

Kentucky: Arkansas: Missouri: Maryland: Delaware: Mississippi: South Carolina: Georgia: Alabama: Florida: Louisiana: Texas: North Carolina: Virginia: Tennessee: 23% 20% 13% 12% 3% 49% 46% 37% 35% 34% 29% 28% 28% 26% 25%

 ¾ of all Southerners owned no slaves  Yeoman farmers   Poor, hook worm infested trashy people (10%) Why would they support this system?

   Public education….awful
“soil butchery” Financial instability  Cotton is the one crop…if it fails….
 Over-speculation of western land  Cost of slaves
1830
1839 1860
$300-600 per person
$1300 $1800

   By 1860, South has $2 billion invested in slaves “rattlin’ good breeders” sold for $3200 8-13% of all slaves were likely fathered by white men

   Treated “well” due to status as expensive property Abused both physically and psychologically Overworked  Sunup to sundown, 6 days a week ▪ Depending on season, 70-90 hours of work   Task and gang system Subsistence lifestyle  Grew own food in free time

 Fear of slave uprisings  Prosser’s Rebellion (VA, 1800)  Denmark Vesey (Charleston SC 1822)  Nat Turner’s Rebellion (VA 1831) ▪ Killed 57 whites; 40-100 blacks killed  Leads to black codes ▪ Restrictions on education, movement, and general freedom’s of black people (free and slave)  Requires tighter control from owners

 Degrading situation overall  Lack of freedoms  Limited ability for advancement (slave for life)   Slave trade (most brutal?, breaks up families) Discrimination not limited to slaves  Free blacks in North and south faced limits
“Southerners liked blacks as individuals but despised the race. Northerners professed to like the race but despised individuals.”

 Early attempts to deal with slavery  Quakers 1700’s   Led to ban in North by 1800 1808 slave trade outlawed     First year allowed under Constitution (Interstate/Slave trade Comp.) Missouri Compromise 1820 Liberia est 1822 Manumission societies

 Reasons for movement  Extension (or origin) of general reform in 1840’s  Recognition of evils of slavery  Success of British emancipation 1833  Feelings of hypocracy  Failure to die expected death  Highly publicized abuse of slaves

   Divisions in Movement  North divided 50-50 Free soilers  Leave slavery alone where it exists   Why?
Radical abolitionists  Prevent slavery in new territory (hence “free soil”) William Loyd Garrison The Liberator  Immediate, uncompensated emancipation


“I will be as harsh as the truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, I do not wish to think, or speak, or write with moderation..I am in earnest - I will not equivocate - I will not excuse - I will not retreat a single inch - and I will be heard!”
-Garrison, 1831

 Moderate abolitionists  Theodore Dwight Weld – gradual, compensated emancipation 
“Slavery is the blight of this nation, the curse of the North and the curse of the South...it confounds your politics. It has silenced your ablest men. It has muzzled the pulpit and stifled the press. It is robbed three million men of what is dearer than life; it has kept back the welfare of seventeen million more.”
From “Slavery As It Is” (1839)

  Northern reaction  Hostility, violence ▪ Charles Stuart beaten in CT ▪ School for free blacks moved to swamp in NH ▪ Elijah Lovejoy; press destroyed and eventually murdered (IL) ▪ Homes of blacks destroyed in Philly Most abolitionists didn’t dare go South

 Abolitionist Tactics  Moral persuasion  Appeal to emotions  Newspaper stories of abuse  Underground Railroad  Court Battles ▪ Nancy Jackson (1837) ▪ Amistad (1839) ▪ Prigg v Pennsylvania (1842)

  Slow gains made in 1840’s Liberty Party (James Birney)   1840 – 6,797 votes for Pres; 1844 – 62,103 Immigrants, manufacturers & bankers oppose abolitionists: Why?

 Explain each of the following in 2 complex sentences each. No book, no phone, no neighbors for help.
 Fugitive Slave Law  John Brown  Uncle Tom’s Cabin  Popular Sovereignty  Kansas-Nebraska Act

 South overreacts to Garrison  Believes him the leader (more of the fringe)    Remember: abolitionists are divided Antislavery movements in South disappear Crackdown on dissent  Laws prevent freeing slaves  Post office refuse to deliver abolitionist papers  No discussion of issue

  Gag rule 1836  Tables all discussion of slavery in Congress Birth of “apologist” view  Peculiar institution positive good (John C. Calhoun)

 Arguments for slavery  Scriptural defense: ▪ Curse of Ham; Mosaic Law; Bible doesn’t condemn  Historical defense: ▪ Aristotle; superior talents over inferior; foundation of past civilizations  Black inferiority ▪ Pseudosciences of “niggerology” and phrenology  Benefits of system to slave ▪ More content than “wage slave” in North  Christian conversion ▪ Free in Africa-no salvation; slave in America-eternal life

   Southern Overreaction  Became philosophical issue  Backfired against those indifferent to issue  150,000 abolitionists in 1840; 250,000 in 1850 Results  Never majority of abolitionists in North  Transformed from economic to moral issue Compromise?
 Possible, not likely after abolitionist movement started  Can’t compromise morals

    Wilmot Proviso (1846) – banned slavery in territory gained by Mexico; fails to pass Questions raised: Can Congress regulate slavery?
 Northwest Ordinance, Missouri Compromise Southern view – no power prohibit; duty to protect it Northern view – moral evil, must prohibit it

  Compromise ideas  Polk: extend Missouri Compromise Line west  Lewis Cass: popular sovereignty Election of 1848  Dem’s: Lewis Cass (no mention of slavery in platform)  Whigs: Zachary Taylor (no platform)  Free Soilers: Martin Van Buren (“free soil, free labor, free speech, free men”)  Whigs win, Free Soilers gain seats in Congress

 Gold Rush (1848)  CA and NM would be slave; MN and OR as free  Gold rush causes confusion, population boom  CA & NM write anti-slavery constitution   Fear replaces reason Nashville Convention (1850), led by Robert Toombs  No decision on secession

 Taylor as President  No political experience (never voted)   Admits CA to Union, no compromise  Crush secession as Jackson would (Nullification Crisis)  Makes compromise impossible Clay, Calhoun, Webster seek compromise

 Clay, Calhoun, Webster propose compromise  CA admitted as free state  NM govt organized w/ no mention of slavery  New fugitive slave law   Abolish slave trade in D.C.
Taylor dies in July ‘50, Millard Filmore more receptive to compromise  Signs most by Sept. ‘50

Effects of Compromise – Who wins?
The North gains…
CA admitted as free state Disputed territory to NM Abolition of slave trade in D.C.
The South gains…
Popular Sovereignty in NM Texas debt payment Tougher fugitive slave law

  Popular support for Compromise  Repeal of Corn Laws (1846)   Filmore is moderate  HOPE Effect on parties  Northern Dems accept it  Nashville Convention fails Whigs split (and die)  Free Soilers denounce  South splits: Union Party and Southern Rights Party

 Fugitive Slave Law  Reminds North of slavery constantly   Rallying point for abolitionists  South: fails to weigh cost of losing a slave vs gaining political opponents  Unenforceable Overall Effect: postpones the inevitable conflict

 Election of 1852  Democrats: Franklin Pierce   Whigs: Winfield Scott  Pierce wins easily Demise of Whig party  North: likes man, hates platform  South: hates man, likes platform  Leaves a void in politics…who will fill it?

  Excellent time to expand Expansion of trade with Far East and Canada  Treaty of Wanghia  Matthew Perry (1853-54) to Japan  Canadian Reciprocity Treaty (1854)  Attempt to annex Hawaii  Central America (rights to canal in Panama)  Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (1850)

 Filibustering expeditions  Unauthorized military expeditions to try and incite revolution  1848 – US attempts to buy Cuba; fails  1854 – Ostend Manifesto (angers Northern abolitionists)  Most attempts seen by North as attempts by South to expand slavery

   Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Harriet Beecher Stowe Gadsden Purchase (1853) – transcontinental railroad to be built, but where? Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)  Introduced by Stephen Douglas  Divide Nebraska in two  Pop. Sover. To decide slave issue  Void Missouri Comp.
 NE – free; KA – slave

  Kansas-Nebraska Act is a disaster  Fails to realize the moral issue of slavery  South feels it must protect expansion of slavery  North turned against pop. Sov.
 North saw Missouri Comp as law; blames south for not following it Changing Northern attitudes  Violence w/o changing social attitudes would be disaster (FORESHADOWING!!!)  Boston mob tried to free a slave being returned to South

 Republican Party forms (1854)  Becomes 2 nd party (fills Whig gap)   Platform of slavery opposition  Banned in south (dreaded sectional party) American (Know-Nothing) Party  Anti-immigrant  Voter intimidation  Pro-slavery (no chance in North)

    1854 – land office set up to deal with immigrant to Kansas Southern view: Kansas was key to slavery expanding to Pacific Northern View: violence necessary to maintain order Election day:  Pro-slavery wins vote; anti-slavery claims fraud

 1856 – Civil War in Kansas  Pro-slave force sacks Lawrence    John Brown leads anti-salvery forces  200 dead, federal troops called in 1857 Lecompton Constitution Popular sovereignty was not a viable option  15 slaves in NE, 1 in KA

 Sumner-Brooks Incedent  Charles Sumner (R) Senator MA   Verbally attacked pro-slavery forces, Andrew Butler Preston Brooks (D) Rep; cousin of Butler  Attacks Sumner at his desk, badly injuring him   Expelled from House, reelected anyway Sumner = Martyr; Brooks = Hero

  Dem – James Buchanan: pro-Southern Rep – John Fremont:  Fireeaters threaten secession if Fremont is elected   Calls for halt to expansion of slavery and keep it where it exists Buchanan wins, decent showing by Repu.

  Dred Scott Case (1857)  Scott was a slave, taken to North on many occasions  Abolitionists use him as test cases (little legal contention) Major Questions –  Were black Americans citizens?
 Does Residence in a free state make a slave free?
 Does Residence north of 36-30 emancipate slaves

  More damaging to North  Overspeculation, inflation, loss of agriculture  South sees it as vindication for their economic system Lincoln-Douglas debates – Illinois Senate 1858  Lincoln opposed extension of slavery; protect where it existed  Opposed racial equality  Opposes divided union

  Douglas introduces Freeport Doctrine  If people don’t want slavery, don’t enact slave codes  More national presence than Lincoln, but alienates both sides African slave trade  South wants it reopened  ▪ ▪ US doesn’t enforce it’s unlawfulness ▪ 1843-57 – US halts 19 slave ships captured, 6 condemned 1843-57 – Britain halts 600, 562 condemned Likely more slaves imported after 1808 than before

 Harper’s Ferry  John Brown sought to invade South, incite slave rebellion  Attacked federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, captured & hanged  South views it as a part of larger conspiracy  Abolitionists view him as martyr

 Election of 1860  Republicans choose Lincoln (less radical candidate)  Appeals to many Northern groups  Democrats are divided, unable to nominate candidate  Smaller factions nominate candidates ▪ Douglas, Breckenridge, John Bell all run

   Election of 1860 Results  Lincoln wins with Northern support  Not allowed on ballot in South  United Dem’s could have won  SC threatened to secede if Lincoln won  Dem’s had power in most of govt.
December 12 1860 – SC secedes  Jan 1861 – GA, AL, FL  Feb 1861 – LA, TX; Confederate States of America formed All before Lincoln takes office

 Reasons for secession  Free soil criticism  Abolitionist nagging  Northern interference  Isolation  Moral emotionalism  Debt repudiation  Misread Northern resolve  European Nationalism

 Confederate Twin Principles  Slavery – protected in perpetuation   States rights Doomed from start  Slavery made European support unlikely  System made war effort difficult (think Articles of Confederation problems in 1780’s)

 Attempts at peace  President Buchanan was lame duck, did nothing  Crittenden proposal ▪ Amendment to guarantee slavery ▪ Compensation for lost slaves ▪ extend 36-30 for territories  Committee of Thirty Three ▪ Protect slavery where it exists ▪ Repeal personal liberty laws ▪ Admit NM w/ pro-slavery const.
 Peace Convention proposed amendments to protect Southern rights; south refused.