Antebellum Life in Georgia 1800 to 1860

Southern Belles

Plantation Mansions

Analyze the graph and write a brief depiction ( 5 sentence )

King crop = Cotton The cotton gin reinvigorated the slave economy in the South, adding decades to its life

Antebellum Georgia Antebellum means before the Civil War Backbone of Georgia’s economy was agriculture (cotton, rice, tobacco) Georgia manufacturing grew out of agriculture (cotton mills) Education was not a important part of Georgia life * wealthy had private tutors * 20% of white Georgian’s could not read Georgia Academy for the blind open in Macon in 1851

Division Among the States States’ Rights: belief the states interests should be more important than national interests North Political decisions should benefit union All states abide by laws set by Congress Union had more power than states South States had the right to govern themselves Right to decide would be best for their own state States had more power than union

Division Among the States Economy: * North – Industrial -factories, banks, mining, railroads * South –Agriculture - farmed cotton, tobacco, rice cotton shipped north Tariffs: tax on imported goods *North – high tariffs on foreign goods so more products made in the North would sell * South – low tariffs b/c they traded with foreign countries often.

Slaves on Plantations

Slavery 35% of Georgians owned slaves Many slaves converted to Christianity Slave Codes: restrictions that took away the rights of slaves Illegal to teach slaves to read. Fugitive Slave Laws – required the return of runaway slaves to their owners North wanted to eliminate slavery and the south wanted to keep it.

Issues and Compromises Georgia Platform – GA supported the Compromise of 1850 as long as the U.S didn’t violate southern rights. Nullification – the belief that a state could refuse to enforce a federal law

Slavery Issues North wanted to eliminate slavery and the south wanted to keep it. More states were being added to the union. Debates over if the new states would be slave or free state. North and South wanted to keep representation in Congress equally slave and free state The South was afraid that without equal number of slave and free states the North would outlaw slavery

Slavery Issues Missouri Compromise: *Maine entered Union as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. *No slavery above 36 degrees latitude * It maintained the balance of free and slave states. Dred Scott Decision: *slave sued for freedom b/c lived in a free state * Supreme court said slaves could not sue b/c they weren’t citizens. *Congress had no right to stop slavery in territories

Missouri Compromise

Slavery Issues Compromise of 1850: * California entered as a free state *Slave trade ended in District of Columbia *New Mexico and Utah would determine if they were free or slave * Stronger fugitive slave laws were enacted Kansas-Nebraska Act: * created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska * citizens of territories would vote if they would be a slave or free state

The Compromise of 1850

Election of 1860 1854 the Republican party was created *platform opposed the spread of slavery In 1860 Abraham Lincoln ran for the Republican party and Stephen Douglas ran for the Democrats. Lincoln won with votes from only one section of the country, the north (this was a first) Lincolns anti-slavery views scared southerners The South decided to leave the Union

Secession Secession- the act of leaving the Union. Alexander Stephens: Congressman from Ga. Led Whigs which favored moderated protected tariffs and Federal help for the south. Spoke against secession The debate over Secession: Many Georgians were split over whether or not to leave the Union.

Secession December 20, 1860 South Carolina left the Union (seceded) January 16, 1861 Georgia voted to leave the Union By February 1861 Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas had seceded. Confederate States of America were formed * Jefferson Davis-President * Georgian- Alexander Stephens-Vice President *Georgian -Robert Toombs –Secretary of State