The South's economy was based almost entirely on agriculture, especially cotton, grown with slave labor. The Deep South states relied heavily on cotton, rice and sugarcane plantations. Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793 boosted cotton production and the demand for slaves. Most Southern whites were small farmers while a minority owned large plantations with many slaves. The rural poor lived in poverty. African Americans preserved elements of their culture while also experiencing oppression through slave codes. Nat Turner's rebellion in 1831 was an example of slave resistance, though violent revolts were rare. Southern cities developed along waterways and railroads.
1. BELL RINGER
• Based on what you have learned, describe the
differences between the North and the South during
the 1800’s.
2. THE PRE-CIVIL WAR SOUTH
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: HOW DID THE ECONOMY, CULTURE,
AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SOUTH INFLUENCE
EVENTS PRIOR TO THE CIVIL WAR?
3. EXPANSION TO THE DEEP
SOUTH
• The South’s economy was almost
entirely based on agriculture
• By 1850, the population had spread
inland into the Deep South (GA,
SC, AL, MS, LA, and TX)
• Slavery was growing in the South
and eliminated in the North
• The Upper South relied on tobacco,
hemp, wheat, and vegetables
• The Deep South relied on cotton,
rice, and sugarcane
4. EXPANSION TO THE DEEP
SOUTH- REVIEW
• 1. What states make up the Deep South?
• 2. Contrast the difference between agriculture in the
Upper South and the Deep South.
5. COTTON IS KING
• In colonial times, Southern
planters grew rice, indigo, and
tobacco
• European textile mills were
demanding more cotton
• Cotton labor was difficult and
tedious- workers had to
remove seeds from the fibers
• Slave labor was used for this
difficult job
6.
7. COTTON IS KING- REVIEW
• 3. Explain how Europe influenced an increase in
cotton production in the Deep South.
• 4. Describe why plantation owners felt the need to
use slave labor for cotton farming.
8. ELI WHITNEY AND THE COTTON
GIN
• In 1793, Whitney invented the
cotton gin for the purpose of
making removing seeds easier.
• With this invention, productivity
increased
• Cotton farmer were able to harvest
50 times more cotton with the
cotton gin
• The cotton gin lead to an increase
in the demand for slave labor
• Slavery spread across a larger
area of the South
9.
10. ELI WHITNEY AND THE COTTON
GIN- REVIEW
• 5. What was the purpose of the cotton gin?
• 6. What effect did the cotton gin have on the number
of slaves in the South?
• 7. Why did it have this effect?
11. THE DOMESTIC SLAVE TRADE
• “Domestic”- within the United
States
• Atlantic Slave Trade was banned in
1808, even though some illegal
trading occurred after that
• Slave trading within the U.S.
became big business in the Deep
South where cotton, rice, and
sugarcane were the primary crops
• Slaves were bought and sold at
auctions and families were often
split apart
13. INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTH
• Industry never caught on in the South
• Factories were expensive and farmers
would have to sell slaves to build them
• The majority of the Southern
population was poor or enslaved,
therefore they could not afford to buy
manufactured goods
• Successful industry in the South
included textiles in GA and SC and
iron in AL
• Industry was still not very typical in the
South
14. SOUTHERN INDUSTRY- REVIEW
• 9. List some reasons why industry never really
caught on in the South.
• 10. What type of industry became successful in
South Carolina and Georgia?
• 11. What type of industry became successful in
Alabama?
15. SOUTHERN TRANSPORTATION
• Farmers and the few
manufacturers used natural
waterways to transport
goods
• Towns were located along
rivers because canals were
scarce and roads were poor
• South had fewer railroads
than the North therefore
Southern cities grew more
slowly
16. SOUTHERN TRANSPORTATION-
REVIEW
• 12. How were goods transported in the South?
• 13. Why were towns located along natural
waterways?
• 14. What effect did the lack of railroads have on the
South?
17. MEMPHIS: THE COTTON
CAPITAL OF THE SOUTH
• Memphis was an important
commercial city in the cotton
industry
• Located on the eastern bank of the
Mississippi River
• Close to fertile Mississippi River
delta and flatlands- suitable for
cotton farming
• Farmers and planters would take
cotton to Memphis where it could
be sold and transported to textile
manufacturers in the North and
other parts of the world
18. MEMPHIS: THE COTTON
CAPITAL OF THE SOUTH-
REVIEW
• 15. Why was Memphis considered the “cotton
capital of the South?”
• 16. Why did farmers send their cotton to Memphis?
19. SMALL FARMERS AND THE
RURAL POOR
• Most whites in the South were yeoman
farmers- small farms of 50-200 acres
• These farmers lived mostly in the Upper
South and the hilly areas of the Deep South
• They did not use plantation agriculture,
instead they grew crops for themselves and
local trade
• Tenant farmers worked on rented land from
landowners
• The rural poor were stubborn, independent,
and looked down upon by others. However,
they were proud to be able to provide for their
families.
• Some free African-Americans owned slaves
like plantation owners while others bought
their own family members to free them
20. SMALL FARMERS AND THE
RURAL POOR- REVIEW
• 17. Most whites in the South were
_______________ farmers who owned small farms.
• 18. Explain the difference between small farming
and plantation farming.
• 19. Some whites were __________________
farmers who worked on rented land.
• 20. Describe the rural poor of the South.
21. PLANTATION OWNERS
• Plantation owners measured wealth by number
of slaves
• In 1860, only 4% of slaveowners had 20 or more
slaves
• Plantations had fixed costs year after year even
though cotton prices changed
• Changes in cotton prices meant the difference
between a good and bad year
• Owners traveled to do business while wives
would look over the plantation and keep financial
records
• Some slaves on plantations would do
household chores or specialized jobs while
others were field hands
• Overseers were in charge of supervising slave
labor
22. PLANTATION OWNERS- REVIEW
• 21. How did plantation owners measure wealth?
• 22. What percentage of slaveowners owned 20 or more slaves in
1860?
• 23. Why could changes in cotton prices result in the difference
between a successful or unsuccessful year?
• 24. Some slaves did household chores, while others were
_____________________.
• 25. Who was in charge of the day-to-day supervision of slave
labor?
23. AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY
LIFE
• Laws did not recognize slave
marriage
• Slaves still married in their own
ceremonies and raised families
• Families were often separated
• African-Americans relied on a
network of extended relative
members to take care of family
members if families were
separated
24. AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY
LIFE- REVIEW
• 26. Why did slaves have their own marriage
ceremonies?
• 27. Why were extended family members important
for enslaved African-Americans?
25. AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE
• By 1860, most slaves had been
born in the U.S.
• African-Americans tried to
preserve African customs
• Traditional folk stories were
passed down to children
• African-American music was
uniquely rhythmic with call-and-
response
• The beat of the music set the
tempo of their work in the fields
26. AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE-
REVIEW
• 28. Even though most slaves had been born in the
U.S. (by 1860), they still tried to preserve
________________________.
• 29. What connection did African-American music
have to slave labor?
27. AFRICAN-AMERICAN RELIGION
• Some slaves kept
traditional African religious
practices
• Others accepted
Christianity
• Slaves expressed
themselves through
spirituals, or religious folk
songs
30. SLAVE CODES
• Laws in Southern states
aimed at controlling
African-American slaves
• Meant to prevent slave
rebellions
• Slaves could not meet in
large groups, leave
property without written
permission, or learn how
to read and write
31. SLAVE CODES- REVIEW
• 32. What were slave codes?
• 33. What were some examples of slave codes?
32. FIGHTING BACK
• Some slaves, like Nat Turner, decided to rebel
• Turner taught himself to read and write, led a
group of followers on a brief rampage in
Virginia, and ended up killing at least 55 whites
• Turner was captured and hanged
• Following Nat Turner’s rebellion, dozens of
African-Americans were hanged by white
mobs, even though most had nothing to do
with Turner’s rebellion
• Violent slave revolts were rare because slaves
felt like they had no chance of winning
• Slave resistance consisted of breaking tools,
faking illness, working slowly, setting fires, etc.
33. FIGHTING BACK- REVIEW
• 34. What happened during Nat Turner’s Rebellion?
• 35. Why were slave revolts rare?
• 36. How did slaves resist without rebelling?
34. SOUTHERN CITIES AND
EDUCATION
• Even though the South was
primarily agricultural, major cities
popped up along waterways and
railroad crossings
• Free African-Americans made
their homes in these cities
• Some states started public
education by the mid-1800’s but
the South still lagged behind in
literacy
• Southerners believed education
was a private matter
35. SOUTHERN CITIES- REVIEW
• 37. Where did major cities develop in the South?
• 38. Who made their home in these cities?
• 39. How did Southerners feel about education?