Plantations and Slavery Spread. I. The Cotton Boom

PlantationsPlantations and and

Slavery SpreadSlavery Spread

I. The Cotton Boom

Eli Whitney• Cotton was becoming

too unprofitable

• One slave could only clean one pound of cotton a day

• He invented a cotton gin (engine)

• Now one slave could clean 50 pounds a day

The Cotton Gin

How the Cotton Gin Works

Effects of the Cotton Gin

• More people began to move west

• People began to grow more cotton than other goods because it was valuable

• More Native Americans were pushed off their land

• Slavery increased

II. Slavery Expands

With the increase in cotton production came an increase in slavery

III. Slavery Divides the South

Cotton Production in the South

White Population of the South

PlantationOwners

Small Farmers

PoorWhites

Called Planters – Very Rich

Called Yeoman-Plain folk

Had 20 orMore slaves

Less than 10 % of population

Worked along side slaves

Did not own land

15% of White Population

75% of population

African Americans In the South

Free Slaves

Could not vote

Could not travel

Feared being kidnapped andSold into slavery

1/3 of total Southern population

Most worked asField hands

Either born free orFreed by their master

Compare/Contrast Slaves/Owners

IV. Finding Strength in Religion

Slave Religion• Some slaveholders used

religion to make slaves accept their treatment

• Slaves were inspired by the stories of Moses and folk tales

• Slaves expressed their religion through religious folk songs called spirituals

V. Slave Rebellions

Nat Turner’s Rebellion• Led the most famous

of rebellions

• 8/21/31 Turner and 70 followers killed 55

• Most of Turner’s men were captured or killed when they ran out of ammo

• Turner was caught and hanged

Effects of Turner’s Rebellion• 200 African Americans were killed

in revenge• Laws were passed to keep slaves

and free African Americans from buying guns or alcohol

• Slaves could not hold religious services w/out a white person

• Anti-slavery publications were banned