US History: Slavery,
Freedom, and The Crisis of
Union
Questions to consider
1. How did slavery shape the economic and social
relations in the Old South?
2. What were the conditions in which slaves lived and
worked?
3. Why did many white southerners support slavery
even while they did not own slaves themselves?
4. Why do you think slavery was called the “peculiar
institution?”
Objective
You will all…
Analyze the economic and social role of Slavery in the
Old South and understand the conditions of slave life,
1840-1860.
How did slavery shape social and
economic relations in the Old South?
King Cotton: cotton replaced sugar as the world’s
major crop produced by slave labor.
3/4ths of the worlds cotton supply came from the
southern U.S.
Cotton supplied the textile mills in the North and
Great Britain.
How did slavery shape social and
economic relations in the Old South?
The Southern Economy: economic growth was
different from the North.
There were few large cities in the South.
The cities were mainly centers for gathering and
shipping cotton.
How did slavery shape social and
economic relations in the Old South?
The “Plain Folk” of the Old South: three out of four
white southerners did not own slaves.
Most white southerners lived on self-sufficient farms in
isolated areas and were poorly educated.
Most supported slavery.
The majority supported the planter elite and slavery
because of shared bonds of regional loyalty, racism, and
kinship ties -- ETHNOCENTRISM
How did slavery shape social and
economic relations in the Old South?
The Planter Class: Ownership of slaves provided a
route to wealth, status, and influence.
It was customary and property was passed down through
generations
Slavery was a profit-making economic system.
Men watched the world market for cotton, invested in
infrastructure, and managed their plantations.
Young boys went to military schools to learn how to
“manage” people through discipline and studies
How did slavery shape social and
economic relations in the Old South?
Paternalism: from the word patria as in father, this was
the idea that slaves were well taken care of under
slavery.
Slave owners were committed to a hierarchical,
agrarian society.
Paternalism was a kind of proslavery argument which
enabled slave owners to think of themselves as kind,
responsible masters.
What were the conditions in
which slaves lived and worked?
Slaves were considered
chattel, or property and
had few legal rights.
They could not testify
against a white person,
carry weapons, or leave
the plantations.
Labor was most of the
slaves daily existence
Foundation – Barbados
slave codes
What were the conditions in
which slaves lived and worked?
Gang labor and task labor: Most slaves worked in the
fields.
An estimated 75% of women and 90% of men worked
as field hands.
On large plantations they worked in gangs under the
direction of an overseer, a man who was generally
considered to be cruel by the slaves.
House labor and field labor as well – social hierarchy
among the slave population – Mulattos vs. African
What were the conditions in
which slaves lived and worked?
Maintaining Order: The system of maintaining order
rested on force.
There were many tools a master had to keep order,
including whipping, exploiting divisions among slaves,
incentives, denial of education, and the threat of sale.
Comprehension
Check
Take no more than the next 15 minutes to answer the following
four multiple choice questions and two short answer using the
key terms from lecture.
The Peculiar Institution
1. In the Old South, the percentage of white families that
owned slaves was approximately
10 percent.
25 percent.
40 percent.
60 percent.
The Peculiar Institution
2. Which of the following was not a central theme of
planter ideology?
The competitive marketplace is where we make our
fortunes—but it is not where we derive our values.
There is no place for fixed social hierarchies in a
democratic republic.
We are the aristocrats of our region; women, children,
slaves, and poorer whites depend upon us for guidance
and protection.
Wealth is meant to be consumed, not merely reinvested.
The Peculiar Institution
3. Cotton was “King” during the first half of the nineteenth
century. Three-fourths of the world’s supply came from the
United States, and textile manufacturers in New England,
Great Britain, France, and Russia depended on the
American cotton supply. Define “textile”:
Tiles, usually made of ceramic and cotton, used in
building houses, manufacturing plants, and government
buildings.
Woven cloth.
A small book or text, usually on a topic of general
interest to the reading public.
Steam engine-powered factory or manufactures.
The Peculiar Institution
4. Slaves made up a significant portion of the Old South’s
field laborers.
house servants.
skilled artisans.
all of the above.
Short Answer
Key Terms: King Cotton, the Southern economy, Plain
folk of the Old South, Planter class, Paternalism, Chattel,
Gang labor, Overseer, Maintaining order…
1. How did slavery shape the economic and social relations
in the Old South?
2. What were the conditions in which slaves lived and
worked?
4 Advanced
3 Proficient
2.5 Basic
2 Below Basic
Shows mastery of
the objective by
explaining all key
terms in proper
context
Understanding of
objective shown by
explaining most
key terms
Knowledge of
objective shown
through
explanation of
some key terms
Misunderstanding
of objective or
incorrect use of
several key terms