Antebellum Lecture 1

What does Antebellum mean? the Latin word for “before war” Used as an adjective –Time period before the American Civil War –

What differences divide the North and South? Regional Differences –North Economy is based on factories. People began moving to cities for jobs. Less people were farming. Immigrants went to the North. Population grew rapidly – 19 million Cold snowy winters, hot summers Rocky, unfertile soil

New York City

Regional Differences –South Agriculture (farming) –Small one family farms –Large plantations Hot, humid climate Fertile soil Population – 11 million

Agricultural South

What is a Plantation? Large farms in the South –Cash crops Cotton and tobacco –Many workers are needed Slave labor –Slave economy

What is a Slave Economy? The production of goods and services depends on the labor of slaves. –The South’s large plantations grew cotton and a lot of it. –Without slaves to do the work, the economy would fail.

The Cotton Gin Cotton was hard to prepare for market. –This was very hard to do and took a LOT of TIME –Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin Made cleaning cotton easier Plantation owners grew more cotton and made more money Needed more slaves to work the cotton

Slaves using a Cotton Gin

How Did These Differences Cause Sectionalism? Sectionalism –The people in the South were more concerned with their own region than they were the United States as a whole. I live in the South and it’s the best. I think the rest of the United States should leave us alone. The North is better. We make more money than you do in the South and we don’t use slaves!

What is the result of Sectionalism? The North and South Disagree –The South didn’t like depending on the North’s manufactured goods. –The North didn’t like the South depending on slave labor (slave economy) Slavery is wrong.

Another result of Sectionalism States’ Rights –A political idea. –each state had the right to make laws for their own state. The Southern States had the right to be slave states (buy and sell slaves for labor). The North (free states) thought the Federal Government should decide if a state was a free or slave state.

Sectionalism and States’ Rights are the Causes of the Civil War As territories apply for statehood, they either choose to be a free state or a slave state. The government is made up of Senators from both free and slave states. Both want to have it their way. –National problem.

Write your summary. 1. Review your notes from the beginning to the end. 2. Use your own words to explain the main ideas and the details that support the main ideas.