Ch. 16 Notes PDF

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Kevin Hou

Chapter 16 Notes

11-29-17

“Cotton is King”  

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Invention of cotton gin in 1793 made cotton the most farmed cash crop. Cotton farming became an economic spiral: more farmers came down to plant, they imported more slaves, they made more profits, and then even more farmers came down to get a share in the profits. o Northern shippers also reaped the rewards of a booming cotton economy.  The prosperity of both the north and the south relied on slavery. U.S. accounted for more than 50% of the world’s cotton supply. Britain relied on the U.S. cotton. The south acknowledged this and it made them feel more powerful. o The U.S. could stop shipments of cotton to Britain if war broke out and Britain’s economy would collapse.

The Planter “Aristocracy” 

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In the years leading up to the civil war, south was more of an oligarchy than a democracy. o A small select group of families owned much of the economic and political power of society. o Southern children could have the best education, best opportunities, and a lot of leisure time. Wealthy women on plantations would often times command an army of servants.

Slaves of the Slave System  

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Economic state of the south became monopolistic. o More and more land became occupied by a small select group of families. Financially unstable south. o Slaves and land were a heavy investment. A group of slaves could be wiped out by disease or run away. South lamented the fact that they were so heavily dependent on the North’s industry.

The White Majority 

Only a small handful of whites were the successful plantation owning planters who lived in columned mansions. o Many whites did not own slaves – they were known as poor white trash. o White trash opposed abolition because if blacks were given rights, the incompetent whites would take the place of slaves at the bottom of the social hierarchy.  Here, the logic of economics merged with the illogic of racism to form the slave system we know.

Free Blacks: Slaves Without Masters 

Some blacks earned freedom by purchasing freedom with earnings from after-hour laboring.

Kevin Hou 

Chapter 16 Notes

11-29-17

Free blacks were a “third race”. They could not work in certain jobs, could not testify against whites in court. They were not subject to the oppression that slaves faced however. o Northerners were often times more opposed to free blacks than the south. The north was more racist....