The Southern SectionChapter 8 Section 3

Points to Ponder

• Why did the economy of the South remain largely agricultural?

• How did the lives of slaves differ on large and small farms?

• What were the results of slave revolts?

“King Cotton”

• In the 1800s, comfortable cotton clothing was the main wardrobe of most people

• From 1820-1860, King Cotton rose to meet 2/3 of America’s exports– Creating enormous wealth in the South

• The Economy of the South was based on cash crops– Cotton– Tobacco (VA)– Sugar and Rice (SC)– Horses (KY)

Geography of Southern Farming

• Much more Rural than North– Made up of farms and countryside– The physical geography made farming ideal

• 200-290 frost free days, fertile soil, plentiful rain

• Slow industrial growth– Southerners hated relying on the Northern

banks, shipping companies and textile mills but few wanted to enter these trades

Plantations

• Most owners were self-made, working hard to start a farm and then enjoyed its growth later on

• Hundreds of thousands owned only a few slaves, raising cash crops on small individual farms

• After the cotton gin, Southerners rushed to gain land to build large cotton plantations

The Slavery System

• By 1804, all the northern states had banned slavery, but Congress could not keep new slaves from entering America until 1808.

• Slavery increased sharply in the South even after the ban, with the offspring of slaves being born into slavery– 3.2 million by 1860– Slaves made up more than ½ the population in SC

and MS, 2/5 of FL, AL, and LA

• Life for Slaves varied– On small farms they worked side by side with

their owners, eating with them and sleeping in the same house

• Just as often though, slaves were mistreated

– Most slaves lived on large plantations• Slave communities were common• Generally harsher than small farms

– Slaves were seen as property• Families could be split apart and sold for any reason

• An enslaved man, Moses Grandy saw his wife pass by on the street with a group of African Americans who had been sold to a slave holder named Rogerson. This is what Grandy remembers:

– “Mr. Rogerson was with them on his horse, armed with pistols. I said to him, ‘For God’s sake, have you bought my wife?’ He said he had: when I asked him what she had done, he said she had done nothing, but that her master wanted money. He drew out a pistol and said that if I went near the wagon on which she was, he would shoot me. I asked for leave to shake hands with her, which he refused, but said I might stand at a distance and talk with her. My heart was so full that I could say very little…I have never seen or heard from her that day to this. I love her as I love my life.”

– ~Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy, 1844

Slave Revolts

• Vesey’s Plan– Denmark Vesey bought his freedom with

lottery winnings• Became a preacher and spoke against slavery

using the Bible and the Declaration of Independence

• 1822: planned the most ambitious slave revolt in American history

– Plotted to seize the city of Charleston

• He was betrayed and hanged with 34 others

• Turner’s Rebellion– Nat Turner, an African American preacher, planned and

carried out a violent uprising in 1831• 70 slaves raided white families in Southern Virginia• Attacked 4 plantations, killing 57 white people

– The Local Militia captured them and hanged 20 including Turner

– Frightened whites in turn killed 100 innocent African Americans

• These revolts frightened Southerners, since black usually outnumbered them. So they restricted Slavery even further– Not allowed to learn to read, move around, or meet freely

together.

Points to Ponder

• Why did the economy of the South remain largely agricultural?

• How did the lives of slaves differ on large and small farms?

• What were the results of slave revolts?

Individual Wiki Post:

• Topic: "How did economic developments encourage tensions among the American regions?”

• 3 Paragraphs

• GREAT GRAMMAR!!!

• Legible

• 2 Examples to back up your thesis

2008 Summary Essay :

• Topic: "What can make people from the same group have different opinions?“– Economies of North and South– Slavery– Modern Example (must be specific)

• 2-3 Paragraphs

• GREAT GRAMMAR!!!

• Legible