Slavery in the US and Cotton Industry

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Questions and Answers

What percentage of southern whites owned no slaves?

50%

25%

40%

75% (correct)

What characterized a planter in the southern society?

Was primarily a laborer on the farm

Owned fewer than ten slaves

Managed plantations of about a thousand acres (correct)

Participated actively in day-to-day plantation management

What was a common aspiration for small slaveholding farmers?

To labor without slaves

To sell their slaves for profit

To become planters themselves (correct)

To own their own machinery

What social standard was expected from southern women that was not expected from men?

Exhibiting models of virtue Signup and view all the answers

How did the role of a southern planter's wife differ from that of men?

She oversaw the work of domestic slaves Signup and view all the answers

Which crop was commonly tended to by yeoman farmers for their own consumption?

Corn Signup and view all the answers

What contributed to the diversification of agriculture in this part of the South?

Expansion of acreage devoted to cereal grains Signup and view all the answers

What social consequence did white men face for fathering mulatto children on plantations?

No social consequences Signup and view all the answers

Which cash crop had the highest proportion of production in the South during this period?

Corn Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary focus of a planter's economic decisions?

Determining land allocation for crops Signup and view all the answers

Why did planters in the South find themselves with more slaves than they needed?

Shift to less labor-intensive cereal crops Signup and view all the answers

Who was considered the largest single group of southern whites?

Yeoman farmers Signup and view all the answers

What was a key difference between the planter class and typical farmers?

Planters owned more than twenty slaves Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the primary reasons for the profitability of slavery in the South?

Low expenses compared to the value produced Signup and view all the answers

What type of slave labor represented the largest percentage of the enslaved population?

Field hands Signup and view all the answers

What was a key characteristic of the economy and society of the South during this period?

Agricultural and rural with limited industrialization Signup and view all the answers

Which group of slaves was likely to fetch the highest market price?

Healthy young field hands Signup and view all the answers

Which city became a major center for the internal slave trade?

Alexandria, Virginia Signup and view all the answers

What economic strategy did some slave owners employ to increase their income?

Buying and selling slaves Signup and view all the answers

How did prices for slaves change as cotton production expanded?

Prices increased correspondingly Signup and view all the answers

What factor primarily contributed to the growth of the slave population in the United States from 1790 to the eve of the Civil War?

Natural population increase among slaves Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following territories was explicitly barred from slavery by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?

Ohio Signup and view all the answers

What major invention facilitated the increased economic viability of cotton production in the South?

The cotton gin Signup and view all the answers

By 1860, which of the following regions had the highest concentration of slaves in the United States?

The Deep South Signup and view all the answers

What was one primary reason that the foreign slave trade's official end in 1808 did not significantly impact the slave population?

Continued smuggling of slaves Signup and view all the answers

Which states were considered part of the Upper South, serving as the primary source of slaves for the Cotton Kingdom?

Kentucky and Virginia Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant outcome of the depletion of soil in tobacco-growing regions of the South?

The establishment of large-scale cotton plantations Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following aspects characterized slavery in the North compared to the South during the American Revolution?

A movement towards abolition or gradual emancipation Signup and view all the answers

The cotton gin's introduction coincided with which significant event related to Native Americans?

Their forced removal from fertile lands Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary economic crop that drove the expansion of slavery into the Deep South by 1860?

Cotton Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant reason why yeoman families in the South supported slavery despite not owning slaves themselves?

They believed in racial superiority. Signup and view all the answers

Which group occupied the lowest social rung among whites in the Southern hierarchy?

Poor whites Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the primary health issues affecting poor whites in the South?

Malnutrition Signup and view all the answers

What was a common occupation for free blacks in the Southern states?

Laborers and farm hands Signup and view all the answers

In which states were a significant number of free persons of color concentrated before the Civil War?

Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia Signup and view all the answers

What was one reason mulattos may have looked down upon those with darker skin?

They aspired to align with white society. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the general economic condition of yeoman families in the South?

Chronic shortage of cash, living in isolation. Signup and view all the answers

What characterized the diet of poor whites in the South?

Extremely inadequate leading to poor health. Signup and view all the answers

What role did religion play in the lives of free blacks in the South?

It provided a sense of community and support. Signup and view all the answers

How did the living conditions of slaves compare to those of poor whites?

Slaves had better physical living conditions than poor whites. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Slavery in the US

Slavery was a widespread practice in the US before the revolution and existed in all colonies.
Northern states began abolishing or gradually emancipating slaves even before the Constitution was ratified.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 prohibited slavery in new territories, effectively confining slavery to the South.
The slave population in the US increased significantly between the first federal census (1790) and the eve of the Civil War.
Natural population growth accounted for the majority of the slave population increase, despite the end of the official foreign slave trade in 1808.
Slavery was concentrated in the tobacco-growing areas of the South before 1820.
By 1860, slavery had expanded significantly into the Deep South, driven by the growth of cotton production.
Cotton production was essential for the Southern economy and relied heavily on slave labor.

Cotton Industry and the "Cotton Kingdom"

The invention of the cotton gin significantly boosted cotton production and increased the demand for slave labor.
The Cotton Kingdom, a region spanning the Deep South, became a major economic force.
The Upper South, including border states, served as the main source of slaves for the Cotton Kingdom.
The Upper South was diversifying its agricultural practices beyond cotton, leading to a surplus of slaves.
Alexandria, Virginia, became a hub for the internal slave trade.

Slavery as an Economic Institution

Domestic servants, skilled craftsmen, and mill workers made up a small percentage of the slave population.
The majority of slaves worked as field hands, contributing to the agricultural economy of the South.
Slavery was considered profitable for planters.
Slaves were regarded as valuable assets, with their prices rising alongside the demand for their labor.
Slave ownership was a significant investment for planters, yielding additional income through buying and selling slaves.

While the image of a South where all whites owned slaves is a myth, three-quarters of southern whites were non-slaveholders.
The planter class, owning 20 or more slaves and vast plantations, held considerable power and influence.
The planter's wife managed the domestic slaves, maintained the household, and bore the burden of interracial relationships and their consequences.
Yeoman farmers, representing the majority of southern whites, owned small farms and relied on their own labor, supporting slavery based on racial beliefs and economic interests.
Poor whites, often struggling to survive on marginal lands, were at the bottom of the social ladder.

Free Blacks in the South

More than a quarter million free blacks resided in the South, particularly in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Charleston, and New Orleans.
Free blacks were subject to discrimination and limited economic opportunities.
Religion played a significant role in the lives of free blacks, with Baptist and AME churches holding prominent positions.
Mulattos, often children of slave women and white men, constituted a significant percentage of free blacks and often held a higher social status than those with darker skin.

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Description

Explore the complex history of slavery in the United States, focusing on its prevalence before the revolution and the gradual abolition movements in the North. Learn how the cotton industry, particularly in the South, relied heavily on slave labor and transformed the economy. This quiz covers key events and impacts from the era.