Lecture 18 - The Old South (04-23) PDF

Lecture 18- The Old South I. Economy of the South: a. Cotton: Growth spurred by Industrial Revolution in Britain and America- needed cotton for textile factories i. Grown in “Deep South”: 1. Originally South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama....

Lecture 18- The Old South I. Economy of the South: a. Cotton: Growth spurred by Industrial Revolution in Britain and America- needed cotton for textile factories i. Grown in “Deep South”: 1. Originally South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. ii. Cotton Spreads Westward- first half of 19th century: 1. Expands to Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas. 2. Deep South Today: South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas iii. “Cotton is King”- Senator James Henry Hammond of South Carolina, 1858: 1. U.S. producing ¾’s of worlds cotton- 1860 b. Other Crops: i. Upper South (Virginia, North Carolina)- wheat, corn & tobacco: ii. Coast of South Carolina/Georgia- rice: iii. Lower Louisiana- sugar: c. Lack of Manufacturing: i. 1860- South produced only 9 % of United States manufactured goods: ii. Had not pursued manufacturing because cotton was so profitable: d. Lack of Cities: II. Slavery: a. Slave-owners: i. ¼ of white southerners owned slaves- 1860: 1. Most slave owners only owned a few slaves: 2. Planter Class (3 % of white population)- owned 20 or more slaves: 3. Wealthy Planter Class (1 % of white population)- owned 50 or more slaves: b. Free Farmers/non slave-owners: work their own lands i. 80-160 Acres: ii. Subsistence Farmers: 1. Grew crops to feed their families- corn, wheat vegetables 2. Livestock- pigs 3. Grew Small Amounts of Cotton to supplement income: a. Couple of bales a year- gave them money to buy things at store that they could not grow or make- coffee, gunpowder, etc. iii. Aspired to be slave-owners: liked idea of slavery 1. Dream was to become a planter and own slaves= “The Good Life” 1  2. Slavery- symbol of status and wealth to which most white southerners aspired. c. Economic Side of Slavery: slave owners see slaves as property i. Want to maximize work and profit and minimize investment ii. Profits per Slave: 1. Slaves cost $30- $35 per year, would produce $78 per year in cotton. iii. Labor Systems: 1. Task System: slaves assigned certain tasks each day. Gave them incentive to work quickly. 2. Gang System: slaves worked in gangs of 20 or more. Worked until overseer told them to stop. No incentive to work harder. 3. Worked hard in either system. Up before daybreak, worked until dark. d. Slaves: i. Classes of Slaves: 1. The House Servants: worked in plantation home- cooking, cleaning, serving as butler, maid, etc. 2. Drivers: oversaw other slaves (whipped them) 3. Skilled Slaves: brick masons, carpenters, blacksmiths 4. Field Hands: men and women ii. Problems: 1. Core Problem for Slaves- lack of Freedom: 2. Potential for slave families to be split up: a. Slave marriages not recognized under law. b. Many planters- like George Washington- did recognize slave marriages and worked to keep families together c. 1820-1860: 500,000 slave couples split iii. Culture: Mixture of African customs and those of America. Helped slaves keep going- gave them comfort 1. Family: very important to slaves a. Operated much like a white family. Men were in charge of family- performed outside tasks like gardening and hunting. Women ran the house b. Extended family also important- nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, parents, children 2. Music: a. Slave bands played in off hours i. Banjo- originated in Africa b. Sang spirituals in the fields 3. Christianity: Slaves deeply religious a. Second Great Awakening saw a lot of slaves converted 2  b. Prior to Civil War- slaves made up 25% of Methodist and Baptist congregations in the south c. Worship Practices: i. Joyful- shouting, dancing, singing, clapping. ii. Held in secret d. Benefits of Religion: i. Emotional Release: ii. Hope: Deliverance in this life or the next e. Free Blacks: Less than 10% of the African-American population in the South were free. i. Lived mostly in Upper South- Virginia, Maryland, etc. ii. Most farmed or had low-paying jobs iii. A small % did well enough to own slaves themselves 3