Chapter 10: The South and Slavery (1790s-1850s) -Natchez: Original Spanish settlement -Americans claimed it to be theirs, and

settled there -Rich soil and close to the river, perfect for large cotton plantations -Threat of racial mingling -Drove out the Upper-Hill Elites King Cotton and Southern Expansion -Cotton became the dominant crop in a rapidly expanding South that included not only the original states of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia, but also Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, and Texas. -Expansion of slave system along with the growth of cotton Cotton and Expansion into the Old Southwest -1793: Eli Whitney introduces the cotton gin -Enabled fast seed-removal of cotton, therefore more cotton could be produced -Cotton depleted the soil, therefore demands for land increased -More people migrated to the west, which caused the population of Mississippi to double and same for most of the other states. -The settlement of the Old Southwest took place at the expense of the regions Indian population Slavery the Mainspring-Again -Industrial Revolution: Led to English development of textile factories -Consequently, the demand for cotton increased, and so did the price -Relationship between the Northern states and Southern states: As Norths economy related to textile companies developed so did the Souths cotton plantation. Most of the slaveships were New England ships A Slave Society in a Changing World -Most of the Northern states gradually abolished slavery, and some Upper South slave owners freed their slaves -The conditions of slavery got worse in the South-the slave owners thought that harsh treatment of slaves will make them obedient and work better -Cotton formed the society in the south- more southerners based their fortunes on the system of slavery and cotton plantations -The effort to efficiently use slaves and to hold firm control of them led to a slave society rather than a society with slaves -South also lagged with railroads and canals- only 15% of the transportation system was located in the South -Slave states were losing dominance in politics due to waning population

To Be a Slave -1820: All of the northern states had abolished slavery -1808: United States ended its relationship with international slave trade -Distinctive African American society emerged Cotton and the American Slave System -1850: 55% of all slaves were engaged in cotton growing -Slavery was concentrated in large plantations rather than small farms -75% of slave lived in groups more than 10 -The westward expansion of cotton demanded more slaves The Internal Slave Trade -Cotton led to huge increase of domestic slave trade -Usually travelled down the Mississippi to the Lower South after being gathered at Slave Pens such as Charleston and Richmond -Carried in cargos of trains or steamboat -Some slaves moved on feet -Traders were sometimes respected members of the society Sold Down The River -Most of the slaves were bought as individuals, separated from their families or kin at such an early age -Upper South slaveowners sold slaves to large trading firms, who collected them during the summer in slave pens -Slaves faced different conditions depending on their destinations -New land in the Old Southwest appeared to offer so much opportunity for owners