T H E S O U T H , S L AV E RY , A N D I T S R O L E I N S O C I E T Y.

CHAPTER 11: SLAVES AND MASTERS

NAT TURNER’S REBELLION

• Most famous of the slave rebellions.• 1831- It had a tremendous effect on the south.• Showed the depth of black rage.• Leads Whites to be more repressive and insecure.• Blacks become more shut in.

DIVIDED SOCIETY OF THE OLD SOUTH

• Daily Life and Labor- Conditions varied and, but most were field workers. Cotton work being the most brutal.

• Families, Kinship, Community- Kinship tied them all together, a sense of family. Strong two parent homes, but could be split at any time.

• Religion- Christianity became the cornerstone. Had to be hidden away from the whites. A.M.E.( African American Episcopal Church).

• Resistance and Rebellion- Some violent, most were small: poisoning, tool destruction, faked illness.

• The Free Blacks- Suffered legal restrictions. Felt close to slaves, but couldn’t help them.

WHITE SOCIETY AND THE ANTEBELLUM SOUTH.

• The Planter’s World- White men who owned more than 20 slaves and had considerable land. Shrewd business of land owning.

• Racism and Paternalism- Southern slave holders had sense of paternalism. No more from Africa so economic value went up leading to better treatment. Overseers did most of the damage. Racism was at the core of Paternalism: Necessary to keep plantation open. They could claim to be Christians because blacks were inferior.

• Small Slaveholders: Worst conditions. Shared in the Master’s poverty.

• Yeomen Farmers: Worked their own farms, not enough money for slaves. Dreamed of owning them and would not speak out against because it kept “blacks” in their place.

• Slavery was only to be spoken about as a positive good. Slaves were treated as inferior and according to the Bible this was backed up. Keep them down and undeducated.

SLAVERY AND THE SOUTHERN ECONOMY

• Virginia and Maryland become mixed farming. Less need for slaves and most get sold to the Lower South. Loyalty begins to suffer.

• The Upper and Lower South• The Rise of the Cotton Kingdom- 1850’s the South produces

75% of the world’s cotton. Large land owners dominated because of access to slaves and gins.

• Slavery and Industrialization- Some industry was developed, but it could not match up with agriculture. Some would use free white labor, and others would use slaves.

• The “Profitability” Issue. Because big plantation owners only made up about 1% of the population the South did not grow because of slavery. It was a waste of human resources and would remain underdeveloped.