The South and Slavery King Cotton Reigns 4, 5 4, 6, 39, 60

Slavery Expands and Cotton Becomes King Cotton Gin Trade Cotton exported to England; $ from sale of cotton used to buy northern goods Britain heavily dependent on cotton to feed its textile factories (80% came from U.S.) Cotton accounted for 50% of all American exports after 1840. South produced 75% of world’s cotton.

Slave Rebellions Stono Rebellion, 1739 Gabriel Prosser, 1800 South Carolina slaves fled toward Florida killing whites along way Gabriel Prosser, 1800 Rebellion did not materialize and Prosser and 26 others were hanged. Denmark Vesey 1822. A slave informer advised his master of the plot Vesey and 30 others publicly hanged

Slave Rebellions Nat Turner’s revolt -- 1831 Sixty Virginians slaughtered, mostly children and women Wave of killing slowed down revolt’s aim of capturing armory Largest slave revolt ever in the South Over 100 slaves were killed in response; Turner was hanged. Southern states made it increasingly difficult for masters to free their slaves

Slave Rebellion Cont. The most common form of resistance on the part of black American slaves prior to the Civil War passive resistance, including breaking tools and slightly slowing the pace of work

The Planter "Aristocracy" South an oligarchy Ruled by wealthy plantation owners 1850, only 1,733 families owned more than 100 slaves; yet dominated southern politics

Peculiar Institution Economic structure of South was monopolistic, dominated by wealthy plantation owners Plantation system Risky : Slaves might die of disease, injure themselves, or run away. System required heavy investment of capital One-crop economy (cotton) Discouraged a diversification of agriculture and esp. manufacturing

Peculiar Institution Southerners resentful the North made huge profits at their expense Resented being so dependent on northern manufactures & markets Repelled large-scale European immigration Only 4.4% of foreign-born part of South’s pop. in 1860; 18.7% in North.

Plantation Slavery Nearly 4 million slaves by 1860; quadrupled in number since 1800 Legal imports of slaves ended in 1808 Countless slaves smuggled in despite death penalty for slavers Burdens of slavery Slaves deprived of dignity and sense of responsibility that free people have suffered cruel physical and psychological treatment Denied an education since seen as dangerous to give slaves ideas of freedom

Plantation Slavery Cont The increase in the South's slave labor force between 1810 and 1860 Natural population increase of American-born slave White slave owners often fathered sizable mulatto population. Most remained slaves Slaves seen as valuable assets and primary source of wealth Slave auctions one of most revolting aspects of slavery Punishment often brutal to send a message to other slaves not to defy master’s authority

The White Majority By 1860, only 1/4 of white southerners owned slaves or belonged to slave-owning families Small slave owners made up a majority of masters. 75% of white southerners owned no slaves at all. Mostly subsistence farmers; didn’t participate in market economy

The White Majority Fiercely defended the slave system as it proved white superiority Poor whites took comfort that they were "equal" to wealthy neighbors Poor Southern whites someday hoped to own slaves and realize the "American dream."