Presentation Transcript

1. The Debate Over Slavery Chapter 6 Section 4
2. Slavery in the South Slave trade outlawed in 1808—US slave population was self-sustaining Slave owners had an economic incentive to treat slaves somewhat reasonably—excessive cruelty or violence would damage their “investment” Daily routine Physical labor during the daylight hours Only a small % of slaves (less than 10%) worked in non-agricultural settings (domestic servants, some industry) Women not only did the physical labor of male slaves but also had to maintain their households (cook, clean, care for their family, etc) Culture and religion Fusion of various African and European influences Slaves were the target of evangelists during the Second Great Awakening
3. African Resistance to Slavery What options would you have to resist slavery if you were an enslaved person? Passive Resistance Intentionally slowing production on plantations Sabotaging equipment Running away Active Resistance: Slave rebellions Gabriel’s Rebellion—Virginia 1800 Denmark Vessey (freed black)—Charleston SC 1822 Nat Turner’s Rebellion—Virginia 1831 All slave revolts failed Negative Side of slave revolts Led to more restrictions on freed blacks and slaves—prohibition of educating slaves for example Led to harsh backlash against ideas of manumission, emancipation, and abolitionism Made slave owners feel that their way of life was under attack, caused them to defend slavery even more forcefully than they did before
4. Early Efforts to end slavery Revolutionary War Manumission in some of the Southern states Gradual emancipation in the North Gradualism Idea that slaves should be freed slowly over time (all people born as slaves freed on their 18th birthday for example) Slave owners should be compensated for their lost “property” American Colonization Society 1817 Liberia 1822 Popular during the 1830s and early 1840s Problems with this idea?
5. New Idea to End Slavery: Abolitionism Idea that slavery should be abolished immediately, everywhere Causes of abolitionism? 2nd Great Awakening Abolitionist movements in other countries—especially Great Britain (abolished slavery 1833-1834) Who were the abolitionists? Similar to other reforms of the antebellum era—middle class Morally opposed to slavery African Americans Beginning of the abolitionist movement William Lloyd Garrison, The Liberator American Antislavery Society 1833 Black Abolitionists Frederick Douglass—freed slave, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Sojourner Truth—freed female slave, worked for women’s rights and abolitionism Harriet Tubman—escaped slave, leader on the Underground Railroad
6. Other People Opposed to Slavery: The Free Soilers Abolitionists=morally opposed to slavery Thought slavery was evil, and opposed it everywhere no matter what Believed in the basic equality of all races Other People=economically opposed to slavery What would slaves do to the wages of ordinary workers? Would small middle class farmers with no slaves be able to compete with large plantation owners who had lots of slaves? What would happen to the chance of getting a good job out West if slavery spread to the western territories? Free Soilers Middle and lower class northerners Economically opposed to slavery OK with slavery where it already existed, didn’t want it to spread anywhere new (wanted the West to be FREE SOIL) Were often extremely racist—hated African Americans more than most white southerners did Most people in the North who opposed slavery were Free Soilers, not abolitionists (Abraham Lincoln during his early life was a Free Soiler)
7. Responses to Abolitionism (North and South) South Similar to southern response to slave revolts—led to a backlash against moderates who wanted to end slavery Southern post-masters destroyed abolitionist literature sent in the mail Abolitionists attacked, blamed for encouraging slave revolts North Most northerners were NOT abolitionists Garrison, Douglass, Truth all attacked by angry mobs in the North, Elijah Lovejoy attacked and killed 1837 Why hostility to abolitionism in the North? Economic ties to the South and slavery Racism Feared competition with freed blacks—especially among poor immigrants (Irish) Feared challenges to the established social/political order
8. Effects of the abolitionist movement Abolitionists were always a minority in America (even in the North) until the end of the Civil War Made the status of slavery and its extension to new territories and states a major political issue Over time many people in the North came to be opposed to slavery (although they weren’t in favor of abolitionism) due to the abolitionists—led to political conflicts over slavery In the South the abolitionists increased tensions against the North, helped make the South feel isolated and under attack Abolitionist/Anti-Slavery political parties started small but would eventually gain power throughout the 1840s and 1850s Liberty Party 1840, 1844 elections—moral abolitionists Free Soil Party 1848—moral abolitionists, plus Free Soilers Republican Party 1854—Free Soil Party plus others (business leaders)
9. Slavery and social divisions in the South Most white southerners—about 75% did not own any slaves Of the 25% of white southerners who did own slaves most owned only a handful About one half of 1% of the Southern white population owned the majority of slaves in the South
10. Slavery and Social Divisions in the South (cont.) Planter Elite—1-3% of white population Top of the social ladder, owned large amounts of slaves, dominated society, politics, and the economy Yeoman (Middle Class) Farmers—20-25% of white population Might own a handful of slaves might not own any Poor Whites—70-75% of white population Lower class Owned no slaves Worked on small farms in agriculturally unproductive areas of the South Free Blacks—250,000 Freed slaves, slaves who had purchased their freedom, etc. Precarious social and legal standing--had few legal rights, faced discrimination and harassment Slaves—4 million Other groups Mountain whites poor/middle class whites living in the Appalachian mountain region Despised the planter elite and slaves
11. The Paradox of Southern Support for Slavery: Why? Most white southerners didn’t own slaves, in fact slavery kept many whites stuck in poverty, but the vast majority of white southerners supported slavery, why? Racism Lower class whites no matter how poor were still better than slaves Economic motives The economic well being of the entire South was dependent on slavery (or so people thought) As long as slavery existed there was a chance that a poor white could acquire a slave or two and use them to become wealthy (or so they thought) Why the need to spread slavery out West, why not just have slavery where it was already? Southern economy was based on agriculture, over time the soil lost its nutrients, Southerners constantly needed new land to cultivate No more slave states would mean the existing slave states would get outvoted in Congress on a whole list of issues that were important to them (tariffs, internal improvements, taxes, future expansion, etc.)
12. Impossible to Compromise(?): Slavery vs. Anti-Slavery Anti-Slavery Slavery was morally wrong any slavery anywhere was unacceptable Spreading slavery out west would make it impossible for northern farmers to get good paying jobs, or to become independent middle-class farmers Slavery needed to either be eliminated everywhere or at least confined to the states where it already existed Pro-Slavery If slavery wasn’t constantly expanding to new states it would be slowly dying off Southerners NEEDED slavery to expand to sustain their economy and keep their political power Slavery needed to be spread to the new territories out west