Slavery in Texas (1837-1860) PDF

The Focus of Texas History Prior to 1528 Groups Indigenous People 184 1528 to 1821 Spanish Control 8 1821 to 1836 Mexican Control Slavery 1836 to 1845 Republi...

The Focus of Texas History Prior to 1528 Groups Indigenous People 184 1528 to 1821 Spanish Control 8 1821 to 1836 Mexican Control Slavery 1836 to 1845 Republic of Texas 1846 to 1848 U.S. – Mexican War Texas Cotton Production 1850 1860 Texas in 1860 Cotton Production Slaves Transportation in Mid-Nineteenth Century Inconsistent River Routes Dangerous Stagecoach Lines Nonexistent Railroads 400 miles of track by 1861 Mostly out of Houston Texas Society at Mid-Century Inequality Population: 1850: 212,592 1860: 604,215 Black Texans 1850: 58,161 Cotton: 58,000 bales (23 million) 1860: 182,566 Cotton: 431,463 bales (173 million) Mexican Texans 13,900 to 23,200 Indians Women Texas Society at Mid-Century Education Few Schools Local communities often provided a meager education for their children Newspapers 1845: 9 1860: 89 Religion Local communities often provided an itinerant, or travelling, preacher Slavery in the United States Austin County, Texas (1837) 1860 Population of 10,139 Germans Southerners Slaveholders – 324 (5.2%) Slaves – 3,914 (38.6%) Agriculture Cotton – 19,020 bales Corn – 400,800 bushels Cattle – 71,271 head Slavery in the United States Austin County – 1860 324 slave owners Each owned an average of 12 slaves 46 owned at least 20 6 owned at least 100 Slavery in the United States Most owned less than 10 Most slaves worked the fields Cotton Rice Tobacco Corn Wheat Cattle Many worked in the house Servants Cooks Nurses Nannies Slavery in the United States Most slaves worked long hours Sunrise to sunset Lived in small cabins or huts Many had Sunday off Often attended church with their owners Most owners felt it important to see that their slaves became Christians But it was illegal to teach a slave to read and write Sat outside and listened through the open windows Few were allowed to have their own church services Slave preacher White preacher Slavery in the United States Conditions Worked long hours Few breaks (if any) Worked under the watch of an overseer on larger plantations Punished for slow work or no work Punished for insubordination Some slave owners brought in a man from the Caribbean, known for his successful tactics and reducing insubordination Lynch 4,000,000 slaves in the United States by Abolitionism in America Why didn’t America simply end slavery? The Constitution did not allow them to If a power is not expressly given to the United States, then it belongs to each state. What Does Texas Do? Issues in 1857 Slavery 1857 governor’s race Hardin R. Runnels Reopen the African Slave Trade Sam Houston Remain in the Union at all cost Runnels wins What Does Texas Do? Issues in 1859 Indians 1859 governor’s race Hardin R. Runnels Slavery remains the priority Sam Houston Blames Runnels for not protecting Texans from Indian raids Houston wins What Does Texas Do? The Texas Troubles July 8, 1860 Fire broke out in Dallas and Denton Fear of slave insurrection spread across the state Many North Texans blamed Kansas abolitionists Over 50 people hanged Texas Politics at Mid-Century Democrats Slaveholders The Party of Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston Whigs Pro-Union Democrats, planters, professionals, bankers Know-Nothings Nativists (anti-immigrant), anti-Catholic, Democrat haters Republicans Abolition Texas Politics at Mid-Century Democrats Convention in Charleston, South Carolina April 23, 1860 Couldn’t agree on a platform Slavery Baltimore, Maryland (June) Still Couldn’t agree on a platform Texas Politics at Mid-Century Democrats Southern Democrats split off Nominated John C. Breckenridge Proslavery platform Northern Democrats Nominated Stephen A. Douglas Anti-slavery platform Whigs and Know-Nothings part of a coalition Constitution Party – John Bell, candidate Texas Politics at Mid-Century Republicans Chicago, Illinois Nominated Abraham Lincoln Slavery is morally wrong and should be kept out of the territories The election of the Republican abolitionist, Abraham Lincoln brought secession to the South What does Texas do?? What Does Texas Do? Secessionist Radical Moderate Unionists Radical Moderate Proslavery Anti-slavery What Does Texas Do? What are the deciding factors? Slavery Indians