Chapter #16: The South and the Slavery Controversy – Big Picture Themes 1. Cotton ran the South before the Civil War— it was "King Cotton." The entire southern economy was based on cotton.
2. The South had developed a pyramid-like social structure. From top-to-bottom: planter aristocrats, small farmers, the white majority (who owned no slaves), free blacks, slaves.
3. Life as a slave could be wildly varied—some slave owners were kind toward their slaves, some were immensely cruel. In all situations, slaves were not free to do as they pleased.
4. Abolition (move to abolish slavery) began with the Quakers. Frederick Douglass became the main spokesman against slavery. And William Lloyd Garrison printed "The Liberator", a radical abolition newspaper.
5. Southerners countered that northern workers were treated even worse than slaves. Slave owners, they said, had a vested interest in their slaves. Northern factory workers exploited then fired their workers.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
Nat Turner
A slave from Virginia who started a rebellion believing it was a sign from God. It was the largest resistance to slavery from black people and led the Virginia state legislature to create a policy stating slavery could not be questioned.
Sojourner Truth
A former slave, an abolitionist, and a feminist. She escaped slavery and preached for abolition and women’s rights.
Theodore Dwight Weld
A self-educated, outspoken abolitionist who created the Land Rebels, a group who traveled the Old Northwest to preach antislavery gospel. He also created a pamphlet called American Slavery As It Is.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which features a slave that is treated badly. This book persuaded people to become anti-slavery. William Lloyd Garrison
An abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He was the editor of “The Liberator” and was one of the founders for the American Anti-Slavery Society.
David Walker
A black abolitionist who wanted the immediate emancipation of slaves. He wrote “Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World” which called for an end to white supremacy through violence. Walker believed that slavery could only end if the slaves physically revolted. GUIDED READING QUESTIONS: "Cotton is King!"
Know: Eli Whitney, Cotton Gin
1. What is meant by "Cotton is King?" How did its sovereignty extend beyond the South? What implications did its rule have?
Eli Whitney created the cotton gin. The South produced much of the cotton. The slaves worked the land. Cotton was powerful that if there was ever a war, then the countries that relied on them for cotton would fall.
The Planter "Aristocracy"
Know: Chivalry
2. In what ways was the south "basically undemocratic?"
The south was more of an oligarchy than a democracy. The wealthy planters ruled. This led to a gap between the rich and poor. Southern aristocrats also tried to mimic medieval Europe with chivalry and jousts.
Slaves and the Slave System
Know: One crop economy
3. What were the weaknesses of the South's dependence on cotton?
The South’s dependence on cotton led to them to rely on a one crop economy. This discourages diversity in agriculture and manufacturing. The south had to get everything they needed from the north or someone else. They even felt indebted to them.
The White Majority
Know: Yeoman Farmer, hillbilly
4. Why did many whites who did not own slaves support slavery?
The whites who were not prosperous were called by their slaves as hillbillies, clay eaters, poor white trash, and crackers. These people, even though they did not own slaves, defended slavery. This because they dream of having slaves one day, becoming rich, and moving up in social status rich, a perfect illustration of the American Dream. In addition they felt comfort in knowing they were superior to someone.
Free Blacks: Slaves Without Masters
Know: Emancipate, mulattoes
5. Would it have been better to be a free Black in the North or in the South? Explain.
It would have been better to be a free Black in the South. Many of the free blacks in the south were emancipated mulattoes. These free blacks could own property, own slaves too, and could prosper. However in the North, they may not even be able to enter a state. In fact this is where most of the anti-black feeling came from.
Plantation Slavery
Know: Chattel, natural increase, Harriet Beecher Stowe
6. "...planters regarded slaves as investments [like a mule]...." Explain what was positive and what was negative about this situation for slaves.
Slaves were growing in number due to natural increase. Slaves were able to avoid dangerous, life threatening jobs because they were seen as an investment. Some slaves could even become free after giving birth to ten children. However they were still abused and even breeded like cattle.
Life Under the Lash
Know: Overseer, breaker, Old South, Deep South
7. Give evidence to show that slaves developed a separate, unique culture. What circumstances made this possible?
Slaves were forced to work by the overseer and punished by the breaker. Most of the slaves were in the Deep South. The Old South had more settled areas. Despite all this hardship blacks were still able to keep family life and raise their children together. They avoided marriages between first cousins. They also created a unique religion, one mixed of Christian and African. They had a unique style of preaching called responsorial that gives a cause and effect.
The Burdens of Bondage
Know: Peculiar institution, Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner
8. Thomas Jefferson once said that having slaves was like holding a wolf by the ears, you didn't like it but you couldn't let go. How does this section help to explain this statement?
Slavery was a peculiar institution. Slaves could rebel at any moment. For example Gabriel Prosser, Nat Turner, and Denmark Vesey rioted for reform.
Early Abolitionism
Know: Abolition, The American Colonization Society, Theodore Weld, Arthur and Lewis Tappan, Harriet Beecher Stowe
9. Describe some of the early abolitionists.
The early abolitionists wished to read that page. The American Colonization Society worked to move blacks back to Africa. Theodore Weld listened to music. Arthur and Lewis Tappan got into a lot of drama. Harriet Beecher Stow preached abolitionism and religious.
Radical Abolitionism
Know: William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, David Walker, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass
10. How were the attitudes of William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass different? When dealing with an issue that is moral and political, how rigid should a person be?
Wendell Phillips would not wear cotton cloth or eat cane sugar since they were made by slaves. David Walker wrote Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World which advocated a bloody end to white supremacy. Sojourner Truth was a free black woman who fought for black emancipation and women’s rights. William Lord Garrison published The Liberator. He was stubbornly principled and was more interested in his righteousness than in slavery itself. He probed the wound in America, but offered no balm to ease the pain. Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave. He lectured widely. He was a flexibly practical person. He looked to politics to end slavery. A person should be very rigid.
The South Lashes Back
11. How did the South defend itself against the attacks of abolitionists?
The South began rebelling against the abolitionists. They tightened their slave codes and prohibited emancipation. They justified slavery with the Bible saying God allowed it. They had the Gag Resolution created which attacked the right of petition. They also had the postmasters destroyed violating freedom of press.
The Abolitionist Impact in the North
12. How did Northerners view abolitionists? Did they have any success?
The northerners did not accept abolitionists. They created mob outbursts. They killed the abolitionists and avoided them. However the abolitionists made northerners see that the south was the land of the unfree and home to a hateful institution. They became freesoilers who did not want slavery to spread to the west.
Chapter #17: Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy – Big Picture Themes 1. A boundary dispute with England over Maine was settled peaceably. In the long run, the U.S. likely got the better end of the deal.
2. Texas finally joined the U.S. Since the Texas revolution, it’d been hanging in the balance. American lawmakers finally decided it was too good of a prize to let slip by, so it was annexed in 1845
3. Oregon was next on the list of lands to seal up. It was shared land, mainly between the U.S. and England. After some negotiating over the border, the 49th parallel was agreed upon. Again, the U.S. likely got the better.
4. The election of 1844 saw James K. Polk run on a Manifest Destiny platform. Americans liked the idea, voted him in, and he went after California.
5. When the Mexican-American war was over, the prize of California that Polk had wanted was obtained. So was all of the modern American Southwest.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
John Tyler
He was Vice President and later became the 10th President of the United States after Harrison’s death. He annexed Mexico after the mandate from Polk and opposed the Whig program for economic recovery.
Slidell’s Mission
President Polk sent him to Mexico to negotiate so that the Rio Grande would become the southern border of Texas. He was to also offer 30 million for California. His mission was denied by Mexico and in 1846 war was declared.
John C. Fremont
He led people into southwestern Mexico in order to claim California, an independent nation.
Manifest Destiny
The idea that we Americans have the right and duty to expand our land from sea to shining sea.
James K. Polk
11th president of the United States. He was Jacksonian Democrat. He wanted to reestablish the independent treasury, lower the tariff, settle the Oregon dispute, and acquire California.
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
A treaty that resolved the border dispute between the United States and British North American Colonies, particularly in Maine. This treaty was signed by Daniel Webster and Baron Ashburton.
Spot Resolution
This was proposed by Congressman Lincoln after the news of the American soldiers being killed on American soil was heard. Lincoln proposed the resolution to find the spot where the soldiers were killed and possibly avoid war with Mexico. The soldiers were killed on disputed territory. The Tariff of 1842
A tariff created John Tyler that created a tax of 32% on dutiable goods. This tariff was lowered with the Walker Tariff of 1846. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
A treaty between President Polk and the Mexican government. Mexico would give California and New Mexico the the United States and the Rio Grade would be the boundary of Texas. The United States assumed any financial claims and pay $15 million to the Mexicans. Wilmot Proviso
An amendment introduced by David Wilmot that stated any territory from Mexico would be free. It was never able to pass the Senate.
2. The South had developed a pyramid-like social structure. From top-to-bottom: planter aristocrats, small farmers, the white majority (who owned no slaves), free blacks, slaves.
3. Life as a slave could be wildly varied—some slave owners were kind toward their slaves, some were immensely cruel. In all situations, slaves were not free to do as they pleased.
4. Abolition (move to abolish slavery) began with the Quakers. Frederick Douglass became the main spokesman against slavery. And William Lloyd Garrison printed "The Liberator", a radical abolition newspaper.
5. Southerners countered that northern workers were treated even worse than slaves. Slave owners, they said, had a vested interest in their slaves. Northern factory workers exploited then fired their workers.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
Nat Turner
A slave from Virginia who started a rebellion believing it was a sign from God. It was the largest resistance to slavery from black people and led the Virginia state legislature to create a policy stating slavery could not be questioned.
Sojourner Truth
A former slave, an abolitionist, and a feminist. She escaped slavery and preached for abolition and women’s rights.
Theodore Dwight Weld
A self-educated, outspoken abolitionist who created the Land Rebels, a group who traveled the Old Northwest to preach antislavery gospel. He also created a pamphlet called American Slavery As It Is.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which features a slave that is treated badly. This book persuaded people to become anti-slavery. William Lloyd Garrison
An abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He was the editor of “The Liberator” and was one of the founders for the American Anti-Slavery Society.
David Walker
A black abolitionist who wanted the immediate emancipation of slaves. He wrote “Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World” which called for an end to white supremacy through violence. Walker believed that slavery could only end if the slaves physically revolted. GUIDED READING QUESTIONS: "Cotton is King!"
Know: Eli Whitney, Cotton Gin
1. What is meant by "Cotton is King?" How did its sovereignty extend beyond the South? What implications did its rule have?
Eli Whitney created the cotton gin. The South produced much of the cotton. The slaves worked the land. Cotton was powerful that if there was ever a war, then the countries that relied on them for cotton would fall.
The Planter "Aristocracy"
Know: Chivalry
2. In what ways was the south "basically undemocratic?"
The south was more of an oligarchy than a democracy. The wealthy planters ruled. This led to a gap between the rich and poor. Southern aristocrats also tried to mimic medieval Europe with chivalry and jousts.
Slaves and the Slave System
Know: One crop economy
3. What were the weaknesses of the South's dependence on cotton?
The South’s dependence on cotton led to them to rely on a one crop economy. This discourages diversity in agriculture and manufacturing. The south had to get everything they needed from the north or someone else. They even felt indebted to them.
The White Majority
Know: Yeoman Farmer, hillbilly
4. Why did many whites who did not own slaves support slavery?
The whites who were not prosperous were called by their slaves as hillbillies, clay eaters, poor white trash, and crackers. These people, even though they did not own slaves, defended slavery. This because they dream of having slaves one day, becoming rich, and moving up in social status rich, a perfect illustration of the American Dream. In addition they felt comfort in knowing they were superior to someone.
Free Blacks: Slaves Without Masters
Know: Emancipate, mulattoes
5. Would it have been better to be a free Black in the North or in the South? Explain.
It would have been better to be a free Black in the South. Many of the free blacks in the south were emancipated mulattoes. These free blacks could own property, own slaves too, and could prosper. However in the North, they may not even be able to enter a state. In fact this is where most of the anti-black feeling came from.
Plantation Slavery
Know: Chattel, natural increase, Harriet Beecher Stowe
6. "...planters regarded slaves as investments [like a mule]...." Explain what was positive and what was negative about this situation for slaves.
Slaves were growing in number due to natural increase. Slaves were able to avoid dangerous, life threatening jobs because they were seen as an investment. Some slaves could even become free after giving birth to ten children. However they were still abused and even breeded like cattle.
Life Under the Lash
Know: Overseer, breaker, Old South, Deep South
7. Give evidence to show that slaves developed a separate, unique culture. What circumstances made this possible?
Slaves were forced to work by the overseer and punished by the breaker. Most of the slaves were in the Deep South. The Old South had more settled areas. Despite all this hardship blacks were still able to keep family life and raise their children together. They avoided marriages between first cousins. They also created a unique religion, one mixed of Christian and African. They had a unique style of preaching called responsorial that gives a cause and effect.
The Burdens of Bondage
Know: Peculiar institution, Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner
8. Thomas Jefferson once said that having slaves was like holding a wolf by the ears, you didn't like it but you couldn't let go. How does this section help to explain this statement?
Slavery was a peculiar institution. Slaves could rebel at any moment. For example Gabriel Prosser, Nat Turner, and Denmark Vesey rioted for reform.
Early Abolitionism
Know: Abolition, The American Colonization Society, Theodore Weld, Arthur and Lewis Tappan, Harriet Beecher Stowe
9. Describe some of the early abolitionists.
The early abolitionists wished to read that page. The American Colonization Society worked to move blacks back to Africa. Theodore Weld listened to music. Arthur and Lewis Tappan got into a lot of drama. Harriet Beecher Stow preached abolitionism and religious.
Radical Abolitionism
Know: William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, David Walker, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass
10. How were the attitudes of William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass different? When dealing with an issue that is moral and political, how rigid should a person be?
Wendell Phillips would not wear cotton cloth or eat cane sugar since they were made by slaves. David Walker wrote Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World which advocated a bloody end to white supremacy. Sojourner Truth was a free black woman who fought for black emancipation and women’s rights. William Lord Garrison published The Liberator. He was stubbornly principled and was more interested in his righteousness than in slavery itself. He probed the wound in America, but offered no balm to ease the pain. Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave. He lectured widely. He was a flexibly practical person. He looked to politics to end slavery. A person should be very rigid.
The South Lashes Back
11. How did the South defend itself against the attacks of abolitionists?
The South began rebelling against the abolitionists. They tightened their slave codes and prohibited emancipation. They justified slavery with the Bible saying God allowed it. They had the Gag Resolution created which attacked the right of petition. They also had the postmasters destroyed violating freedom of press.
The Abolitionist Impact in the North
12. How did Northerners view abolitionists? Did they have any success?
The northerners did not accept abolitionists. They created mob outbursts. They killed the abolitionists and avoided them. However the abolitionists made northerners see that the south was the land of the unfree and home to a hateful institution. They became freesoilers who did not want slavery to spread to the west.
Chapter #17: Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy – Big Picture Themes 1. A boundary dispute with England over Maine was settled peaceably. In the long run, the U.S. likely got the better end of the deal.
2. Texas finally joined the U.S. Since the Texas revolution, it’d been hanging in the balance. American lawmakers finally decided it was too good of a prize to let slip by, so it was annexed in 1845
3. Oregon was next on the list of lands to seal up. It was shared land, mainly between the U.S. and England. After some negotiating over the border, the 49th parallel was agreed upon. Again, the U.S. likely got the better.
4. The election of 1844 saw James K. Polk run on a Manifest Destiny platform. Americans liked the idea, voted him in, and he went after California.
5. When the Mexican-American war was over, the prize of California that Polk had wanted was obtained. So was all of the modern American Southwest.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
John Tyler
He was Vice President and later became the 10th President of the United States after Harrison’s death. He annexed Mexico after the mandate from Polk and opposed the Whig program for economic recovery.
Slidell’s Mission
President Polk sent him to Mexico to negotiate so that the Rio Grande would become the southern border of Texas. He was to also offer 30 million for California. His mission was denied by Mexico and in 1846 war was declared.
John C. Fremont
He led people into southwestern Mexico in order to claim California, an independent nation.
Manifest Destiny
The idea that we Americans have the right and duty to expand our land from sea to shining sea.
James K. Polk
11th president of the United States. He was Jacksonian Democrat. He wanted to reestablish the independent treasury, lower the tariff, settle the Oregon dispute, and acquire California.
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
A treaty that resolved the border dispute between the United States and British North American Colonies, particularly in Maine. This treaty was signed by Daniel Webster and Baron Ashburton.
Spot Resolution
This was proposed by Congressman Lincoln after the news of the American soldiers being killed on American soil was heard. Lincoln proposed the resolution to find the spot where the soldiers were killed and possibly avoid war with Mexico. The soldiers were killed on disputed territory. The Tariff of 1842
A tariff created John Tyler that created a tax of 32% on dutiable goods. This tariff was lowered with the Walker Tariff of 1846. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
A treaty between President Polk and the Mexican government. Mexico would give California and New Mexico the the United States and the Rio Grade would be the boundary of Texas. The United States assumed any financial claims and pay $15 million to the Mexicans. Wilmot Proviso
An amendment introduced by David Wilmot that stated any territory from Mexico would be free. It was never able to pass the Senate.