The American Journey, Ch. 9:
THE SOUTH
Section 1:
Southern Cotton Kingdom
Cotton Is King
In the South, people said, “Cotton is
king.”
Why?
Most Southerners lived in the Upper
South: Maryland, Virginia,
Tennessee, North Carolina.
By 1850, the population spread to the
Deep South: Georgia, South
Carolina, Louisiana, Florida,
Arkansas, and Texas.
Cotton Is King
Cotton is an extremely painful and
difficult crop to harvest.
In 1793 Eli Whitney changed all that
with the cotton gin, a simple machine
for separating cotton from the seeds.
With easier separating came more
demand for cotton, and thus more
demand for slaves to pick it.
While the Upper South had other
crops, too, the Deep South remained
dedicated to cotton.
Southern Economy
While the North was becoming
industrial and urban, the South was
predominantly rural—based upon
country life and agriculture.
Why?
Agriculture became profitable.
Most Southerners lacked capital—
investment money—since most of their
wealth was in land and slaves.
The market wasn’t as big in the South.
Many Southerners didn’t want industry.
Southern Economy
Some Southerners, like William Gregg,
who opened his own North-inspired
textile factory, did argue for Southern
industry.
Without industry, the South was dependent
upon the North for manufactured goods.
Industry would revive the Upper South’s
economy.
But the South remained basically rural
towns and plantations.
The only large cities were Baltimore,
Charleston, and New Orleans.
Moving West
Cotton production moved west, leading
to statehood for Mississippi, Alabama,
and Arkansas.
But transportation was scarce.
Natural waterways were the primary
means of transportation.
Railways were present but scarce.
As a result, Southern cities were
disconnected and grew slowly.
The American Journey, Ch. 9:
THE SOUTH
Section 2:
Life in the South
Life on Small Farms
Most farmers were not rich plantation
owners.
Most were yeomen, poorer farmers who
did not own slaves but did own land.
Others were tenant farmers, who owned
no land but worked on rented land.
Still others lived in tiny cabins and grew
food only for themselves.
Plantations
Plantation homes were nice, but the real
wealth was measured in land, goods,
and slaves.
The wealthiest 12% of slave-owners
owned over half of all slaves!
Plantation owners worked for profit,
hoping to offset fixed costs like
housing and feeding workers and
maintaining equipment.
Cotton Exchanges
The price of cotton rose and fell.
Planters sold their cotton to agents in
big cities during cotton exchanges.
Agents gave the planters credit, a kind
of loan.
During this time, agents held the cotton
until the price rose, and then sold it for the
highest price.
This means planters were always in debt,
waiting for the agents to sell.
Life on the Plantation
Women had very little to do, and their life
was boring and uneventful.
Slaves worked in the fields and in the
home, but they always had an overseer,
a plantation manager.
Slaves worked from sunrise to sunset, and
conditions were usually harsh.
Some slave-owners were not unkind to their
slaves, however.
Some free African-Americans even owned
slaves, usually family members, bought just
to free them.
City Life
Southern cities slowly began to expand
as the railroad came in.
New Orleans was particularly important as a
trading and cultural center.
Free African-Americans often were able
to create their own communities.
However, they were still discriminated
against and denied equal treatment.
Education in the South
Early on, only rich Southern children
attended school much, usually private
schools.
However, by the mid-1800’s, many public
schools were open in the South.
Still, the South lagged behind the North.
Many Southerners couldn’t afford to send
the kids away from working.
There were very few people per sq. mi.
Many also felt education was a private affair
and government shouldn’t pay for it.
The American Journey, Ch. 9:
THE SOUTH
Section 3:
The Peculiar Institution
Slave Family Life
Slaves could be sold and separated
from family and friends at any time.
Because of this, slaves built long, strong
family bonds.
Aunts, uncles, etc. could raise children if
parents were taken away.
These are called extended families.
Marriages for slaves were not recognized,
though they did occur.
“…until death or separation do us part…”
African-American Culture
Remember the slave trade was
outlawed in 1808 by the Constitution?
No new slaves could enter the country.
Therefore, by 1860 most slaves had been
born in the U.S.
How did slaves survive the life?
African culture, song, community, etc.
mixed with American culture.
Christianity also mixed with native
religions.
African-American Christianity
Slaves saw Christianity as a religion of
hope and promise of freedom.
The spiritual, an African-American
religious folk song, became popular.
“Amazing Grace,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,”
“Follow the Drinking Gourd,” etc.
Often these songs contained secret messages
(“Follow the Drinking Gourd”).
Resistance and Rebellion
Slave codes were laws in slave states
that controlled slaves and prevented
rebellion.
e.g., slaves cannot assemble in large
numbers, slaves cannot be taught to read
and write, etc.
Resistance and Rebellion
Some did rebel, such as Nat Turner, a
slave who educated himself.
Turner led slaves on a rampage in 1831
that led to the deaths of 55 white people.
Turner was hanged, and more slave codes
were enforced.
Other slave leaders were Gabriel
Prossner and Denmark Vesey.
Vesey believed the Bible and Declaration
of Independence forbade slavery.
Resistance and Rebellion
Most resistance was less violent.
Breaking tools, feigning illness, setting fire
to fields, working slowly, etc.
Some slaves got their freedom.
Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass
fled to the North.
Tubman helped runaway slaves through
the “Underground Railroad,” a collection
of safe houses owned by free blacks and
sympathetic whites.
Most runaway slaves were caught.
Resistance and Rebellion
Most resistance was less violent.
Breaking tools, feigning illness, setting fire
to fields, working slowly, etc.
Some slaves got their freedom.
Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass
fled to the North.
Douglass was self-educated and wrote a
book about his experiences.
Tubman helped runaway slaves through
the “Underground Railroad,” a collection
of safe houses owned by free blacks and
sympathetic whites.
Resistance and Rebellion
Most runaway slaves were caught and
punished severely.
Even if slaves could get to the North,
fugitive slave laws were set up to
guarantee runaway slaves were
returned to their owners.