History 201
• African American History
• Civil War Era Slavery
• Reconstruction and the Nadir
• of Race Relations
• in America
Introduction
• Past 50 yrs much ink has
been spilled defining,
explaining, and trying to
come to grips with the
“Peculiar Institution.”
• Termed first appeared
around 1850s—some of it
fact and some of it
fiction.
Causes of Civil War
• Many issues will create a volatile
atmosphere; westward expansion, manifest
destiny, the Mexican War, the several Mo.
Compromises;
• the Tariff is more of a modern view point
than one of reality for the era—
Causes Cont’d
• The Tariff was a true bone of contention during
the Nullification crises— a ten% decrease in the
original tariff was placed into the 1830 Mo.
Compromise.
• By 1845 it had crept back up to within 20% of the
Tariff of Abominations—the southerners cried
foul; Walker Tariff of 1847 began a downward
trend which again the Walker Tariff of 1857
lowered it over half of the original tariff of 1828
and the Morrill Tariff of 1861 put the tariff at a
low ebb that would remain for years and years—
Causes Cont’d
Hard to believe that a people would go to
war over an issue that in essence was a nonissue—if one is gaining concessions—why
then did the argument remain so harsh and
volatile—obviously the argument was over
something much deeper and emotional.
This something was Slavery.
Antebellum Slavery
African American slavery can be divided into two
periods: 1) Colonial years, about 1650—1790;
2) From the invention of the Cotton Gin (1793)
until the end of the Civil War (1865) with the
defeat of the South and the ratification of the 13th
amendment which stated that “neither slavery nor
involuntary servitude, except as punishment for
crime—shall exist in the United States or any
place subject to its jurisdiction.”
Antebellum Slavery—North
With the arrival of Independence northern states began to
regard slavery as an unnecessary evil—the true nature of
the American economy should be based on
diversification—slavery was contradictory to the ideals
of the revolution—(NW Ordinance, State constitutions, and Seasonal economies).
Northern states began to emancipate slaves. Where they
did not emancipate, once the slaves died or moved to
other areas the institution would not be replaced—
slavery was rapidly evaporating in the North due to
emancipation or attrition. (John Adams Philosophy)
North Cont’d
By 1820, there were only 3,000 slaves in the North and
almost all of them on large farms in New Jersey—slavery
was easily abolished in the north because there were never
a tremendous number nor was slave labor a vital
component of the northern economy.
In the beginning in the north before the abolitionist’s
attitude began to permeate northern society, the demand
for immediate emancipation of northern slavery was
because the white laborers did not want to compete with
slaves for their jobs.
Southern Slavery
The South was a different story. The African
American population both slave and free was
much larger in the South—Virginia and South
Carolina alone accounted for nearly half of the
slave population in the South—
Economic Considerations
• the South was dependent upon slave labor
because of its singularly focused agriculture
economy—
• In the upper South, the economy changed from
tobacco and tide water rice (cotton never did well
beyond North Carolina) especially in Va. to
wheat, rye, and corn—
Lower South
• Expanded into a more
labor intensive economic
system;
• Also began to expand
westward;
• Ready market because of
the surplus of Upper
South Slaves—Profitable
Internal Slave trade.
• the term to be sold down
river carried many
connotations
Upper South
• There was a relaxation in manumission laws
• not always for benevolent reasons—Old and
infirm slaves were emancipated and had to fend
for themselves—
Expansion of Slavery
• Two major events took place to change the
institution of slavery:
• 1) The Cotton Gin, Eli Whitney, 1793—now
slavery could pay its way economically.
• 2) Termination of the International Slave trade—
Not just slavery but the trade itself became very
profitable.
Agriculture and Economic Reasons
• The cotton gin changed all that—short staple
cotton could now be grown throughout the lower
and western southern states—vast new
plantations and westward expansion created the
states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and
Texas and Arkansas—this alluvial farm land was
ideal for growing cotton and the climate was also
perfect.
Supply and demand
• In 1810, the South produced 85,000 pounds of cotton; by
1860, it was producing well over 2 billion pounds a year.
Unfortunately because of the lack of perspicacity either
on the Southern or Northern part, the international slave
trade was outlawed in 1808—(Cotton Market values rose from
12million (1810)to 248million per year(1860))
• This restricted the supply, because of growing demand,
prices went sky-high—many made money off the trade
itself, rather than agronomics.
• This separates colonial slavery from Antebellum slavery.
Expansion of Slavery
• Slavery not monolithic—about 4.8% of white
southern families owned slaves.(Myth: Whites
outnumbered Blacks).
• In 1860—10,000 families owned more than 50
slaves; across the South.
• 3,000 families owned more than a 100 slaves; the
typical southern slave owner owned 2-5; typical
white southerners owned none.
Typical White Southern Demographics
• The typical southern male
was an artisan, mechanic,
and more typical a small
farmer and needed little
labor—this accounts for
the large number of small
slaveowners—and again
many did not own
slaves—Yet over a million
white male southerners
went to war to defend
slavery in 1861.
Constitutional Basis
• Slavery was the basis of their economy, social
fabric and more importantly that some historians
ignore but I believe explains the issue much more
clear—it was tied to the age old Lockeian theory
of life, liberty, and property—
Irresolute Southerners
• Richmond politicians stated in the Richmond
Enquirer,(1864-65) “it is absurd to pretend that a
government desirous of restoring the Union would
adopt such measures as the confiscation of private
property, the emancipation of slaves, the division
of a sovereign state without its consent.” (Shelby
Foote page 884 Vol II) the struggle must be
renewed between generations yet unborn >…
Lincoln’s Compromise
• In 1864, Southern
politicians in Richmond
cast aspersions at
reconciliation:
• 10% of the population had
to swear a loyalty oath to
the US government, lay
down arms and guarantee
emancipation for the
slaves—and they would
be welcomed back into the
Union—nothing no more
harsh than that.
Lincoln’s Compromise
• Lincoln and concessions-Union reunited important—
• Secessionists would not hang
as traitors but must abolish
slavery—
• Lincoln had matured as a
politician and had become a
great President.
• By 1863 understood war was
about slavery—eradicate this
poisonous issue.
Southern Angst
• Some areas of the South had more slaves than free
whites and that could be a volatile situation—The
Stono Rebellion
• St. Andrews Parish in Georgia suffered from
several violent slave revolts—Gabriel Prosser and
Denmark Vesey in South Carolina also aroused
fears in whites and the most notorious was Nat
Turner in Virginia—but there were 100s of
smaller revolts and violent outrages against
slavery and the institution by slaves themselves—
Slave Codes
• To police and regulate the slave population—they formed Slave
Patrols and enacted ‘Slave codes.”
• The idea behind the codes was to try and prevent resistance or
rebellion—they made it illegal for slaves to read and write, they
could not attend church unsupervised, could not testify against a
white person in court—
Slave labor
• Slave labor in the upper South was much different
from the lower South—enjoyed more freedom—
often worked at their own pace and often without
white supervision—
Many slave owners allowed slaves to hire their
own time and live in the towns and industrial areas
and find their own work—this benefited the slave
owner because he could now make a profit off his
slaves by hiring them out and lessen the cost of up
keep—
Slave Labor/Upper South
• The slave had more
independence;
• make his own money for
extra work etc . . .
• Keep in mind, however,
they existed by the
permission of their
masters—.
Labor Deep South
• Labor in the deep South was brutal and very
hard—slaves worked from before sun up until
after dark; longer during harvest or planting
season—
• the buying and selling of slaves was influenced by
the economy—
Economic Issues
• slaves though treated as
family in some homes
were always subject to the
market economy—
• they were instant cash;
• economics always
trumped morality.
Diversification of Slave Labor
• The South was overwhelmingly agriculture and
rural.
• In fact, however, slaves were used
successfully in factories and industry
throughout the South;
• most industry focused around Cotton,
tobacco, and Iron foundries.
Diversification Cont’d
• By the time of the war, however, 250000 slaves worked in
industry—Richard Wade and Robert S. Starobin did the ground
breaking work on Industrial Slavery in the Old South—
• As industry grew in the South, owners were finding new ways to use
slavery for profit.
• Tredegar Iron works in Richmond employed many slaves—Other
Iron foundry’s employed slave labor, coal mining and all forms of
manufacturing such as cotton textiles, tobacco and transportation
industries.
Diversification
• The Chicopee and Athens
Cotton Factory employed
slaves mostly women and
children and they worked
along side white coworkers—
• Thomas R.R. Cobb hired
out his slaves to industry
and hired Irish workers to
do the agriculture duties—
it was more profitable.
Slave Artisans and Mechanics
• Many slaves by hiring out
their own time could make
money and eventually
many would buy
themselves and family out
of slavery.
Black Slave Owners
• high profile cases of Blacks
owning Blacks;
• William Ellis; a Mechanical
Engineer and Mechanic.
• Designed Cotton Gins, built
them and serviced them;
• Though an aberration to the
system, it was an instance
where white southerners could
point to the righteousness and
success of the system
•
(Robert M. Grooms)
Black Slave Owners
• Justus Angel and
Mistress L. Horry, of
Colleton District, South
Carolina, who each
owned 84 slaves in
1830.
• In fact, in 1830 a fourth
of the free black slave
masters in South
Carolina owned 10 or
more slaves; eight
owning 30 or more (2).
Black Slave Owners
• The country's leading African American historian,
Duke University Professor John Hope Franklin,
records that in New Orleans over 3,000 free Blacks
owned slaves;
• In 1860 Louisiana six African Americans owned 65
or more slaves. The largest number, 152 slaves,
were owned by the widow C. Richards and her son
P.C. Richards, who owned a large sugar cane
plantation.
• Antoine Dubuclet, a sugar planter whose estate
was valued at (in 1860 dollars) $264,000 owned
100 slaves. That year, the mean wealth of southern
white men was $3,978.
Black Slave Owners
• Black Confederates and Afro-Yankees in Civil War
Virginia (University Press of Virginia-1995) was
written by Ervin L. Jordan Jr., an African-American
and assistant professor and associate curator of the
Special Collections Department, University of
Virginia library. He wrote: "One of the more curious
aspects of the free black existence in Virginia was
their ownership of slaves. Black slave masters
owned members of their family and freed them in
their wills. Free blacks were encouraged to sell
themselves into slavery and had the right to choose
their owner through a lengthy court procedure."
Legal Clout
• The general practice of the period was that
plantation owners would buy seed and
equipment on credit and settle their
outstanding accounts when the annual cotton
crop was sold.
• Ellison resorted to the courts for enforcement
of the terms of contract agreements. Several
times Ellison successfully sued white men for
money owed him.
So, Why Fight?
• The ideals of democracy were very limited—the
rich planters had a great deal of influence and
power over the yeoman farmers and poor whites—
this is why James Oakes calls the southern
political system the Slavocracy—if you look at the
demographics of southern political leaders almost
all of them were slave owners and were
determined to keep the institution viable and
active.
Cont’d
• Though not everyone owned slaves is true, it was
always a possibility to become a slave owner.
• Slave Ownership was a status of making it
economically.
• It was the basis of success in Southern society; it
was the southern way of life, the American dream
as they saw it—the road to success was slavery,
simply because the economy was slave based.
Cont’d
• Alexander Stephens Vice President of the Confederacy
said it best in 1861:
• “If Slavery is wrong, then the southern way of life is
wrong.”
• Slavery in the antebellum South made a small minority of
whites very wealthy while exploiting southern blacks and
impoverishing many poor whites.
• It left many uneducated and retarded the over all growth
of the economic, cultural and social growth of the region.
Conclusion
• Slavery was the institution by which the South
defined itself; But it was the existence of slavery,
with its negative impact on politics, economics,
and social relations, which fatally crippled the
South in its bid for independence.
• Jefferson Davis lamented after the war: “The
South died of a theory,” and an arrogance of
superiority.
National Issues Linked to Slavery
Missouri Compromises of 1820 and 1830
The constitution forbid government interference with
slavery where it already existed—abolitionists hoped to
prevent its expansion into the territories
Missouri sought to enter the union in 1818 as a slave
state—this upset the political balance between free soil
and slave states—
admitted Maine as a free soil state and Mo. As a slave
state to maintain the senatorial balance—Remember
Alabama had entered as a slave state (1819)–the Senate
was perfectly balanced.
Compromised Cont’d
• The issue was the territory acquired through the
Louisiana Purchase (1803) and what would be
acquired through the Mexican War (1846-47) a
few years later.
• The rub was the Compromise also provided that
slavery would be excluded from the newly settled
Louisiana territory except below the latitude 36°
30'.
Compromise of 1850
• The Mexican War acquired vast tracts of land in the Southwest—
Antislavery forces demanded that slavery be excluded from these
new territories—slaveholders agitated to allow for the expansion of
slavery into the new territories because the Mo. Compromise of
1820 allowed it below the 36th parallel—again compromise was
reached.
• California was admitted as a free state (hurt the South because of
the rich Gold deposits)—agreed to Popular Sovereignty in the other
territories and enacted a stronger Fugitive Slave Act to appease
southerners.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
• A literary event that shook
the American public—It
was an indictment of the
slave system and in
particular Southerners
themselves—
• this would decrease the
South’s chances of having
a foreign power (ally) to
intervene on their behalf
when the war started.
Kansas-Nebraska Act
• This was a bill introduced by
Stephen Douglas that
introduced the concept of
Popular Sovereignty.
• Allow the population by ballot
to decide on the slavery issue.
• It created a political explosion
and people who originally had
no opinion on slavery now
jumped onto the slavery
bandwagon
Dred Scott Case
• 1857--Scott sued for freedom
on the grounds that Emerson,
though since dead, and
bequeathed to his wife
Sandford, had taken him to a
free soil state where slavery
was illegal therefore by
definition of law he must be
free.
• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled
otherwise—since Scott was
not a true American citizen he
had no right to sue in local or
federal court. Chief Justice
Roger B. Taney said “A slave
had no rights which a white
men need acknowledge
Backlash of Court Decision
• Also ruled Congress had
no right to ban slavery in
the territories;
• Concluded that the Mo.
Compromise was
unconstitutional; therefore
repealed.
• Slavery was legal and
Guaranteed by
constitution; congress no
authority to arbitrarily
illegalize it.
Lincoln – Douglas Debates
• The 1858 debates
addressed the issue of
western slavery;
• Douglas believed in
Popular Sovereignty;
• Lincoln, on the other
hand, argued that slavery
was “a moral, a social, and
a political wrong.”
Lincoln
• Agreed slavery was a
moral wrong and argued
that it should never
expand to the western
territories.
• However, He did say that
where slavery was
entrenched it should be
left alone.
• Later he would change
his mind.
Consequences of the Debates
• Slavery had to expand to save the southern economy—this reveals
how strong slavery was tied to the southern way of life and its
economy. This is why the argument that if left alone slavery would
have withered and died. The South refused to let the issue die.
• The debates also did a couple of other things: First it revealed how
unreliable Douglas was as a southern ally—he had said repeatedly
that he did not care whether slavery was voted up or down—
Southerners needed allies of slavery.
• Second—The South understood the Republican party was
dangerous to the survivability of slavery and would oppose any
expansion.
John Brown’s Raid
• South now convinced the
North would resort to violent
means such as armed
insurrection to destroy their
way of life.
• Regardless of morality, many
southerners were not going to
sit idly by allow
insurrectionists to kill their
families.
• Southern Militia’s now prepare
and become the basis of the
Confederate Army
Political Factors
• As northern and southern patterns of living diverged so
did their political ideas. The North needed a strong central
government to provide for a vast internal transportation
infrastructure and the fact that land wise the North was
more vast—
• The southerners were relegated to a small section of the
nation if slavery was not to be allowed to expand—
expansion would increase their geography, economic
structure, political base and slavery on a much larger
scale—the South wanted a government weak and
unobtrusive.
Into the Abyss
• December 20th 1860, South
Carolina signed its Ordinance
of Secession; absolved itself of
allegiance to the United States.
• In the words of John C.
Calhoun and Thomas Jefferson
(Virginia and Kentucky
Resolutions 1790)—asserting
States Rights.
•
(April 12th 1861, 0430am—”The Night
They Drove Ol Dixie Down—” The
Band, 1970).