XXX. Rural Communities

1. A. Before the Civil War 60% of Americans farm B. As economy grows cash replaces bartering C. Transportation improvements have great effect 1. Decreases farmer's isolation 2. Before improvements in transportation specialization was limited a. each local grew what they used, subsistence agriculture b. farmers always grew extra of something for cash c. after war of 1812 commercial agriculture increases 3. Northeast farmers start catering to new urban clientele a. Dairy farms send milk into city from just outside b. Fresh produce also sold in city to meet demand i. Cook books start calling for fresh produce 4. Grain farming in the west a. high prices for grain enticed many western farmers i. little experience in large scale farming ii. far removed from market, dependent on middlemen XXX. Rural Communities

2. b. growing debt i. bought land from speculators on credit ii. borrow money for next crop and between crops iii. price dropped due to over production iv. farmers grow more to pay off loans c. land became exhausted families leave and move further west C. Magazines change farmers' lives 1. inform farmer of advances in technology 2. agriculture becomes a science 3. experiments with grafting & cross pollination 4. inform about fertilizers &methods of treating foods 5. rotate crops & leave fields fallow 6. technology reversed 200 year trend to decline food

3. XXXI. Cotton is King A. Southern society primarily based on a plantation agricultural economy 1. Primarily small farmers with few possessions 2. several diverse agricultural interests 3. few cities but not isolated from technology B. Economy grew faster than north's 1. By 1860 average southern income 15% higher than northerner 2. Primarily due to Cotton Gin and effect on whole economy a. Cotton grown all over the south b. Cotton production expensive to start so limited 3. Whites invested in tried and true methods, Cotton a. refused to take risks & invest in technology b. slowed industrialization of the south c. dependent on monocultural economy, cotton C. Slavery 1. Cotton revitalized the system of slavery

4. a. by 1820s South largest producer of world's cotton i. 1815-1860 cotton over half of all U.S. exports ii. helped promote northern textile mills b. Southerners migrated west & south looking for fertile land i. pushed Native Americans, Spaniards and Mexicans out ii. Cotton grown from Florida to east Texas by 1860s 2. South dependent on Slavery for Cotton production a. Many southerners wanted to continue slave trade past 1808 b. 1800 British opposed slavery and banned slave trade i. Americans continue to smuggle slaves into country ii. British navy stopped most trade iii. British worry about W. Indies not U.S. c. More increase from procreation i. grew in proportion to cotton production a. 1820 1.5 million slaves in south b. 1860 4 million

5. d. 55% of all slaves in south worked on cotton plantations i. 10% worked on tobacco, 10% on rice, sugar or hemp ii. 10% worked in mining, timber, construction or industry iii. remaining 15% worked as domestic servants 3. Slavery dictates society prices rise with demand to grow cotton a. top - planter aristocracy with 50 slaves per family b. next - smaller planters with 10 - 50 slaves c. biggest group of slave owners 70% owned 9 slaves or less d. majority of southerners-small scale farmers without slaves e. next to lowest - hog growers, produced 2/3rds of all hogs f. lowest 10%, remote subsistence lives, "hillbillies, etc." 4. Slavery defended an Ideological Shift occurs a. Seen as a necessary evil at first b. attacked by abolitionists & defended c. supported on several grounds i. Bible used to defend - Cush, Philemon

6. ii. historical argument, there has always been slavery iii. Constitution upheld slavery iv. "scientific methods" polygenesis theory, phrenology 5. Paternalism a. Slave owners saw themselves as guardians of their slaves i. believed chaos would ensue if slaves freed ii. believed slaves could not care for themselves b. Slavery anything but paternal i. slaves worked 12 to 18 hours per day ii. almost always denied the profits of their labors a. occasionally hired out & keep a percentage b. some managed to pay for their freedom this way iii. beaten repeatedly for laziness, or disobedience a. field hands given allotments to fulfill per day b. supervisor watched work & disciplined slaves iv. house slaves given more freedom & lighter work

7. v. lived in crude one room huts very few possessions vi. diet had sufficient calories but not proper balance a. rarely receive fresh meat, milk, fruit, produce b. most resorted to thief even though it had risk c. Women slave bore disproportion of work i. worked all day, some had to please master & husband 6. Religion played an important part in slaves lives a. After first great awakening, churches admit Blacks b. gives slaves hope and dignity i. hope in future paradise ii. songs represented freedom iii. exodus theme adopted iv. some cases, completely black c. African culture incorporated into religion 7. Laws protect slaves rarely enforced a. Only whites can testify against another white

8. 8. Slaves developed forms of Resistance a. mental- sung songs, prayed, told folktales (Uncle Remis) b. physical-rebel,slow down,play dumb/sick,sabotage,escape,suicide i. Nat Turner's Revolt, Southampton County Virginia 1830 a. August night small band rebelled b. Turner claims he was on mission from God, for race war c. killed 55 whites, men, women and children i. indiscriminately, slave owners & others d. put down once militia finds slaves ii. Some attempt by southerners to stop slave revolts a. a few pass laws improving slave's conditions b. majority pass laws restricting slaves i. illegal to buy own freedom in some states D. Free African-Americans 1. Demographics a. 1820-60 number of Free Blacks doubled 233,500 to 488,000

9. 2. Gained Freedom in several ways, a. passed for white b. ran away (especially young men) b. given freedom (especially women) i. mistresses or children of masters ii. percentage of mulattos in free population higher c. Manumission (buying your freedom) 3. Most free African-Americans lived in upper south a. wanted to live close to friends & family, feared deep south b. worked as unskilled laborers since few trades open to them i. barbering, shoe making or plastering only trades open ii. women worked as cooks, laundresses or domestics c. few achieved high standards, even buying slaves themselves 4. Generally not given freedoms of the poorest whites a. could not bear arms, vote, buy liquor, assemble, speak in public, form societies, or testify against whites

10. b. many cases movements were restricted i. had to carry freedom papers, shown on demand, and renewed 5. Free in name but not in fact water wheel at Hurricane Mills, TN open belt from ceiling through floor