1. Chapter 19
African-Americans at
Mid-Century

2. North and South, Slave and Free
 Location determined African-American living
conditions
 Free blacks had SOME rights; slaves had NONE

3. Slaves’ Legal Status
 Slaves were property; slaveholders had complete
control
 Beaten, sold, even kill slaves
 Slaves have nothing

4. Rural and Urban Slaves
 Majority of slaves worked in rural setting
 Small number of slaves worked in cities; did not get
to keep their wages
 Urban slaves had more “freedom” than rural slaves

5. Free Blacks in the South, part 1
 Free blacks held normal jobs
 Free blacks viewed as dangerous; had restricted
rights
 No guns, could not travel freely, certain jobs off
limits

6. Free Blacks in the South, part 2
 Had more rights than southern blacks, but not
equality
 Discrimination – unequal treatment based on race,
gender, religion, etc.
 Segregation – separation of groups based on race

7. Free Blacks in the South, part 2
 Difficult to find jobs; worked low paying jobs
 Denied entry into churches
 Organized to protest unfair treatment:
 National Council of Colored People
NAACP – National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (founded in 1909; first use of ‘people
of color)

8. Economics of Slavery, part 1
 Only a small number of farmers/planters owned
slaves
 Cotton influenced slavery
 Cotton made many southern wealthy
 Cotton gave southern states economic strength

9. Economics of Slavery, part 2
 Economy depended on slaves to harvest cotton
 Slaves became more valuable as cotton prices rose
 Increased value led to better treatment of slaves
 Expanding market prevented slaves from ever
earning freedom

10. Controlling Slaves, part 1
 Slavery only worked if slaves were forced to submit
 Physical punishment was often avoided; left slaves
less likely to work
 Slaves treated as children; forced to depend on
owners
 Slaves knew nothing of outside life
 Slave-breakers taught slaves to obey

11. Controlling Slaves, part 2
 Fear, violence, and overwork used to break slaves
 Slaves never know how long they would work or
when the next beating was coming
 Idea was to keep slaves tired, hopeless, and broken