APUSH Urban Middle Class - Nat Turner Flashcards

Urban Middle Class

• Consisted of professionals, businessmen, and traders thriving in the market economy.
• Represented a distinct emergence of the middle class during this period.
• Family life centered around large homes filled with new consumer products.

Cult of Domesticity

• Presented an idealized view of family life, emphasizing selflessness and stability.
• Promoted traditional values, positioning the arts as the "women's sphere."
• Women were expected to master domestic arts to uphold this ideal.

Catherine and Mary Beecher

• Founded Hartford Female Seminary, breaking ground for women's education.
• Offered a curriculum that included history and science, alongside traditional subjects.
• Pioneered educational opportunities for women beyond domestic skills.

Louisa May Alcott

• Authored "Little Women," advocating for women's independence and financial autonomy.
• Chose to remain unmarried, pursuing a career instead of conforming to societal expectations.
• Represented a shift in women's roles, as most women of the time prioritized marriage.

Castle Garden

• Served as an immigrant center in New York, aiding newcomers in settling down.
• Provided assistance with travel plans and integration into American society.
• Highlighted the need for support systems for immigrants during this era.

Black Nationalism

• Free people of color established their own communities and self-governing institutions.
• Emphasized racial solidarity and self-help, alongside a growing interest in Africa.
• Reflected a desire for independence and self-determination among African Americans.

Negro Convention Movement

• Organized national conventions aimed at self-defense and activism against slavery.
• Functioned as a platform for discussing equal rights and strategies for reform.
• Marked the first organized form of nonviolent resistance to slavery.

Yeoman Farmers

• Independent landowners who grew their own food and distanced themselves from slavery.
• Valued self-reliance, prioritizing work, family, and church in their lives.
• Represented a distinct agricultural class within the antebellum South.

Antebellum South

• Characterized as the rural South prior to the Civil War.
• Witnessed peak levels of cotton production and the entrenchment of slavery.
• Noted for its agricultural economy dominated by plantation systems.

Southern Paternalism

• Slaveholders portrayed themselves as guardians of a familial bond with enslaved individuals.
• Believed it was their obligation to care for and manage the welfare of their slaves.
• Justified the system of slavery as a hereditary duty, merging rhetoric with social norms.

Slave-Master Relationship

• Enslaved individuals depended heavily on their masters for their livelihood.
• Experienced resentment toward exploitation and harsh treatment.
• Daily reminders of status included whippings, family separations, and branding.

Slave Culture

• Built on beliefs, values, and practices stemming from shared experiences.
• Strong community ties formed through storytelling, music, and religious traditions.
• Fostered a sense of racial identity, unifying individuals under a common heritage.

Denmark Vesey

• A free black man who attempted to incite a rebellion against the slave system.
• Combined biblical teachings with revolutionary ideas to justify his plans.
• Inspired fear among white residents of South Carolina, revealing tensions of the era.

Nat Turner

• Led a violent rebellion across plantations, resulting in numerous white fatalities.
• Captured and executed, his actions sparked a wave of repressive legal measures.
• Prompted stricter regulations on black education and civil liberties in the South.