the south and the slavery controversy, 1793-1860 copyright © houghton mifflin company. all rights...
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The South and the Slavery
Controversy, 1793-1860
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Slaves ginning cottonA handful of slaves could process large amounts of fiber using the revolutionary new machine, but it took armies of field workers to produce the raw cotton. (Library of Congress) Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cotton is KingCotton is King Quick profits draw Quick profits draw
planters to Gulf statesplanters to Gulf states Northern shippers reap Northern shippers reap
large profits by trading large profits by trading cotton for European cotton for European finished goodsfinished goods
Cotton is ½ of all U.S. Cotton is ½ of all U.S. exports by 1840exports by 1840
South produces more South produces more than ½ world supplythan ½ world supply
75% of English cotton 75% of English cotton imported from Southimported from South
Colonel and Mrs. James A Whiteside, Son Charles and Servants by James A. Cameron (Hunter Museum of Art, Chattanooga, TN, Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Whiteside)
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Company. All rights reserved.
The Planter AristocracyThe Planter Aristocracy
An oligarchy that provided the social and political leadership of the regionAn oligarchy that provided the social and political leadership of the region money provided the leisure for study, reflection, & statecraftmoney provided the leisure for study, reflection, & statecraft A keen sense of obligation to serve the publicA keen sense of obligation to serve the public
Virginia Planter's Family by August Köllner, 1845
A southern woman was expected to be a loving and subservient wife to her plantation husband, but she was also expected to be a harsh mistress toward her black servants.
("Virginia Planters Family" by A. Kollner, 1845. Library of Congress)Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The Planter The Planter AristocracyAristocracy
Gap between rich and Gap between rich and poor widenedpoor widened
Tax-supported education Tax-supported education hampered by planters who hampered by planters who preferred private preferred private institutionsinstitutions
A feudal society that was A feudal society that was rapidly dying outrapidly dying out
Mistresses of great Mistresses of great plantations commanded plantations commanded sizable staffssizable staffs
Minor Winn Gracey & Mourning Smith Gracey by William Frye, 1851
This grand portrait of Minor Winn Gracey and his wife, Mourning Smith Gracey, of Alabama, celebrates the planter class's wealth and status in the artifacts surrounding the couple. (Loaned by William M. Spencer III, Birmingham Museum of Art)Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The Planter The Planter AristocracyAristocracy
Southern economic structure becomes monopolisticSouthern economic structure becomes monopolistic Financial instability results from overspeculation in Financial instability results from overspeculation in
slavesslaves Dangerous dependence on a one-crop economyDangerous dependence on a one-crop economy Resentment of “Yankee” manufacturingResentment of “Yankee” manufacturing
A barber shop, Richmond, 1861
Free blacks dominated the barber's trade in Richmond on the eve of the Civil War. As meeting places for men, barber shops supplied newspapers and political discussion. Black barbers were politically informed and prosperous. As was the custom at the time, barbers also performed medical procedures like drawing blood.
(Valentine Museum, Cook Collection)Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Free blacksFree blacksSlaves without mastersSlaves without masters
near 250,000 in South near 250,000 in South (1860)(1860)
emancipated by emancipated by idealists in upper idealists in upper SouthSouth
mulattoes of white mulattoes of white planters in deeper planters in deeper SouthSouth
some purchased some purchased freedom with after freedom with after hours laborhours labor
resented and detested resented and detested by slave system by slave system defendersdefenders
Nurse and chargeSlavery did not prevent white children and their slave nurses from forming attachments to each other. (Valentine Museum, Cook Collection) Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Plantation SlaveryPlantation Slavery
thousands of blacks thousands of blacks smuggled into the South smuggled into the South despite the death penalty despite the death penalty for slaversfor slavers
southern juries repeatedly southern juries repeatedly acquitted captured slaversacquitted captured slavers
population grew mostly population grew mostly from natural reproductionfrom natural reproduction
$2 billion of southern $2 billion of southern capital in slavery (1860)capital in slavery (1860)
The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave
by Henry Byam Martin
When a Canadian sketched this Charleston slave auction in 1833, Britain abolished slavery in the West Indies.
(National Archives of Canada)
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Life Under the LashLife Under the Lash slaves auctions separated slave families for slaves auctions separated slave families for
economic reasonseconomic reasons a psychological horror decried by abolitionistsa psychological horror decried by abolitionists
Ye Southern Planter
Artist unknown, 1838
Most antebellum planters actually lived in modest homes and worked alongside their employees and slaves.
(Dr. Richard Saloom)
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Life Under the LashLife Under the Lash slaves usually toil dawn to dusk under whip of a slaves usually toil dawn to dusk under whip of a
white overseer or black driverwhite overseer or black driver only minimal protection from arbitrary murder or only minimal protection from arbitrary murder or
unusually cruel punishmentunusually cruel punishment
Torture Mask, woodcut, 1807The laws of southern states had long stipulated that masters could use whatever means they deemed necessary to prevent slave runaways and insolence. (Library of Congress) Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Life Under the LashLife Under the Lash floggings were commonfloggings were common strong-willed slaves sent to strong-willed slaves sent to
“breakers”“breakers” typical planters had too much typical planters had too much
invested in slaves for regular invested in slaves for regular beatingsbeatings
life tougher in “black belt” of life tougher in “black belt” of Deep South frontier states (AL, Deep South frontier states (AL, MS, LA)MS, LA)
blacks 75% of population along blacks 75% of population along Mississippi RiverMississippi River
modeled own religious forms as modeled own religious forms as mix of Christian and African mix of Christian and African influencesinfluences
Nat Turner, artist unknownNo pictures of famed slave revolt leader Nat Turner are known to exist, but this nineteenth-century painting illustrates how one artist imagined the appearance of Turner and his fellow conspirators. White southerners lived in terror of scenes such as this and passed severe laws designed to prevent African Americans from ever having such meetings. (Granger Collection)
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Burdens of BondageBurdens of Bondage slaves legally denied an education (90% illiteracy among slavesslaves legally denied an education (90% illiteracy among slaves slaves slowed pace of labor, leading to stereotypesslaves slowed pace of labor, leading to stereotypes expensive equipment sabotagedexpensive equipment sabotaged many run away and some lead armed insurrectionsmany run away and some lead armed insurrections
Armed antislavery men with John Doy
This photograph, taken in 1859, shows a gang of armed antislavery men who had just broken an accomplice (John Doy, seated) out of jail in neighboring St. Joseph, Missouri.
(Kansas State Historical Society)
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AbolitionismAbolitionism
American Colonization Society (1817) and Republic of Liberia American Colonization Society (1817) and Republic of Liberia (1822) aim to relocate blacks(1822) aim to relocate blacks
William Lloyd Garrison publishes The Liberator (1831)William Lloyd Garrison publishes The Liberator (1831) American Anti-Slavery Society (1833) American Anti-Slavery Society (1833) Frederick Douglass embraces emancipationFrederick Douglass embraces emancipation Liberty Party (1840) and Free Soil Party (1848)Liberty Party (1840) and Free Soil Party (1848)