The South & the Slavery Controversy
1793-1860
The American Pageant
Chapter 17
“Cotton is King!”
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1793: Invention of cotton gin revitalized southern economy, slavery.
Cotton was 1/2 of all US exports after 1840, South produced 1/2 of
world supply, British manu-facturing dependent on it.
The Planter Aristocracy
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1850, South: 1,733 wealthy families owned more than 100 slaves,
provided political/social leadership.
These families produced 1st rank statesmen, felt obligation to serve
public.
The Planter Aristocracy (2)
 Southern aristocrats idealized feudal society, e.g. author Scott.
 Southern women commanded household of mostly female slaves, but
gender bonds did not lead them to become abolitionists.
Slaves of the Slave System
 Economic problems in South:
 Over-cultivation of cotton ruined soil, small farmers forced to sell land

to wealthy.
Plantation system unstable: debt, huge investment in slaves – might be
hurt, run away, die.
Slaves of the Slave System (2)
 King Cotton: danger of one-crop economy, felt they were in economic
slavery to North.
 Europeans not familiar with cotton, did not immigrate to South,
provided North with labor force, South very Anglo-Saxon.
The White Majority
Most slaveowners in South were small farmers, owning 1-10
slaves.
3/4 of whites in South did not own slaves – mostly
subsistence farmers who resented Southern aristocracy.
The White Majority (2)
 Poorest whites known as “poor white trash,” “hillbillies,” etc.
Defended slavery for sake of “American dream” of owning some, racial
superiority.
 Mountain whites (Appalach-ians) lived apart from southern society,
supported Union in war.
Free Blacks
 1860: About 250,000 southern free blacks, who traced their freedom to
ideals of Revolution, mulatto origin, or their purchase of freedom.
 Hated by slavery proponents, not allowed to work in certain jobs or
testify against whites.
Free Blacks (2)
 Also hated in North: couldn’t vote, go to school, hated by Irish due to
competition for jobs.
 Treatment sometimes worse in North: southerners liked individuals,
hated race; northerners professed like for race, disliked individual
blacks.
Plantation Slavery
 1860: 4 million slaves in South, 4x amount of 1800.
 Congress had outlawed importation in 1808, but some smuggled.
However, most growth due to natural fertility.
 Slaves viewed as investments, spared dangerous work.
Plantation Slavery (2)
Cotton boom brought more slaves to Deep South, i.e. SC, FL,
MS, AL, LA.
Slave women often promised freedom if produce 10 babies.
Slave auctions separated families, theme of Uncle Tom’s
Cabin.
Life Under the Lash
 Conditions of slaves varied greatly, but some commonality:
 No civil or political rights
 Floggings common, but usually not savage beatings.
 By 1860: most in “black belt” of Deep South, southern frontier.
Life Under the Lash (2)
 Most lived on large plantations with slave community.
 In some counties along lower Miss. river, slaves were 75% of
population.
 Resulted in distinctive slave culture, unlike smaller plantations of upper
South.
Life Under the Lash (3)
 Most slaves raised in 2-parent household.
 Religion: mixed Christian & African elements, stressed captivity of
Israelites in Egypt.
 “Responsorial” preaching came from African ring-shout dance.
Burdens of Bondage
 Slaves barred from education, 90% of adults illiterate.
 Responded to oppression by slowing work, stealing, sabotage,
poisoning master’s food.
 Rebellions (Vesey-1822, Turner-1831) failed.
Burdens of Bondage (2)
 “Siege mentality” of southern whites surrounded by black slaves
bolstered theories of race superiority.
 Practice degraded whites as well (Booker T. Washington - “without
getting down there with them”)
Early Abolitionism
 1st abolitionists were Quakers during time of Revolution.
 B/c dislike of blacks, some suggested sending them back to Africa.
 1817: Founding of American Colonization Society
 1822: Republic of Liberia.
Early Abolitionism (2)
 15,000 sent, but by 1860, most slaves too Americanized, stayed.
 2nd Great Awakening inspired abolitionists in 1830s.
 Weld: product of Finney/ Burned-Over District, led “Lane Rebels,”
wrote American Slavery As It Is.
Radical Abolitionism
 Garrison: influenced by 2nd Awakening, published The Liberator,
started 30-year war of words (Boston).
 Walker: black who advocated bloody end to slavery
 Sojourner Truth: freed black – rights of slaves, women (NY).
Radical Abolitionism (2)
Fredrick Douglass: greatest black abolitionist, lectured
widely, wrote autobiography.
Garrison stubbornly principled; Douglass politically practical
– backed Liberty, Free Soil, & Republican parties.
South Lashes Back
1831-32: After defeat of emancipation proposals in VA Leg.,
South moved to silence abolitionists.
Slave states tightened slave codes, prohibited emancipation
of any kind.
South Lashes Back (2)
1831: Turner rebellion spread fears, planters slept with guns.
Georgia offered $5,000 for arrest/conviction of Garrison for
incitement of murder.
Nullification crisis also incited southern fears.
South Lashes Back (3)
Proslavery whites defend slavery as positive: supported by
Bible, Aristotle, Africans rescued from jungle to be civilized,
Christianized.
Argued master-slave relationship was like family.
South Lashes Back (4)
Argued that their happy servants were better off than
northern wage slaves.
Southern reaction endangered free speech: Congress passed
gag resolution in 1836 – antislavery petitions must be tabled
without debate.
South Lashes Back (5)
 South resented abolitionist literature in mail, protested.
 1835: Fed. government ordered southern postmasters to destroy
abolitionist lit. in response.
 Southern state officials could arrest postmasters that did not comply.
Abol. Impact in North
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Extreme abolitionism unpopular in North, Webster’s argument for
union persuasive.
North had heavy economic stake in South: By late 1850s, Southern
planters owed North $300 million, North relied on southern cotton.
Abol. Impact in North (2)
Many radical abolitionists in North attacked by mobs,
Garrison dragged through streets, even Lincoln avoided.
But by 1850s efforts at least led to “free-soilers” – those who
opposed extending slavery in West.