$ Economic Growth $
     Key Questions: 
1.  What was it like to attend one of the great camp meetings that drew thousands of people to hear such famous preachers as Charles Finney and Peter Cartwright? 

2.  What was the impact of the Cotton Gin on the maintenance and spread of slavery? 

3.  What accounted for increased emigration from Europe and for the growth of free black communities in the North? 
4.  How was passive resistance to slavery a more effective response than an armed revolt? 

5.  Why did southern polictical leaders oppose Haitian independence?  What influence did the Haitian Revolution have on African Americans? 

6.  What factors contributed to the failure of slave conspiracies and revolts such as those of Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vessey, and Nat Turner?
Key Terms:
 
Lowell Girls
tobacco
cotton gin
Slavery
cotton
Underground Railroad
William Lloyd Garrison
Haitian Independence
Toussaint L’Ouverture
Haitian Revolution

 

Southern Economy
 Slavery
        Although the southerners and the northerners alike believed in independence which was established in the American revolution, the development of a free labor state in the north and a slave society in the south, made the north think about what independence really was. While the north had a changed it’s view on independence the south stayed the way they were keeping their beliefs. Since the south didn’t have the same geography of the north to maintain factories or the man power to work them, the south had not the need or the desire to change their ways.  So far the slavery was very profitable, having other people working for you to get the job done and all you have to do is lick the stamp to send it away. As the industry failed to move in the south the old saying came about, "You either own property, or you are property." 
Biography: Lowell Girls
 
 
 
 

 

      Slavery is an evil institution.  Slavery is a term used when people are put to work under force without pay but for their basic nessecites of life.  Often slavery is cruel and involing whippings and torture.   The slave code is something that forbids any slave to learn how to write, gather in groups and etc..  This thus took away the slaves Freedom.  Slaves were brought from Africa.  On board long ships that wer flithy and disgusting Africans had to survive the hideous trip.  In many cases, many slaves died before reaching the Americas.  In America, the slaves where then sent to the plantations and then auctioned. 
         In these auctions white men hunger like ants for honey,  for the strongest slaves.  Over time, slavery destroys the victims souls.  In some cases, its even destroys the slaves personality creating the slaves into passive creatures with no will to resist.  Although slaves revolts rare in the Americas, revolts did occur.  There are many view to the personalites of slaves.  One view was there were passive. Although slaves revolts rare in theAmericas, revolts did occur.  There are many view to the personalites of slaves.  One view was there were passive. 
King Cotton
         African American slaves had very strong family and kinship bonds.  They also had religion and music so they had a form of recreation. 

       In the early 1800’s tobacco was the main crop to be planted.  When the price of tobacco went down many people thought that slavery and plantations would both vanish, but they were wrong. New weaving machines that cut the cost and time of cloth making in half made a gigantic need for cotton.  Armed with Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, southern planters were ready  respond. Not only did the need of cotton rise but the production rate also skyrocketed from 731,000 in 1830 to 2,133,000 bales in 1850. By 1859 cotton production was at it’s peak of 5,387,00 bales.  From 1815-1860 cotton represented more than half of America’s exports. Because of the lack of space in the U.S the planters had to find bigger places to farm so they started moving north to South Carolina and West to  Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana.  By the 1850’s the cotton belt was stretched from central and western Carolina to Texas. 
      The invention of the cotton gin was a major part of the southern United States history.  Although it does sound like a good invention for the slaves it was bad.  You might think that since the machines were made you wouldn’t need as many slaves to run the plantation but you are wrong.  They still need the same amount and even more.  Because they do have that many machines they need more and more slaves not only to work the machines but also to pick all of the plants to put into the machine.  As the need for slaves grew the number of slaves increased amazingly.  In 1820, there were about 1.5 million slaves, in 1860 there were about 4 million slaves.  Because of the abolition of the international slave trade in 1808, the planters had to rely on the slaves giving birth. Even though the international slave trade was abandoned, there were still trade within the United States by the states that had to many slaves. 
 

 
This is a picture of Toussaint L'Ouverture, the African who won the Independenc for Haiti.
 
       A man who feared that slaves in the Americas would up rise and therefore closed all relationships with Haiti.  This is Thomas Jefferson.
 
 

 

           African American slaves had very strong family and kinship bonds.  They also had religion and music so they had a form of recreation.  Most master’s would bring their slaves to the church on Sundays. 
 Slavery created the slaves into passive creatures with no will to resist.  Although slaves revolts rare in the Americas, revolts did occur.  They occurred since the very begining of slavery.  One of the more important revolts was the revolt lead my Nat Turner.   In the South,  slavery was the form of labor. 
      The cotton was based souly on the slaves.  If there were no slaves, the southern econmy would surely fall.  Many people opposed slavery as well.  these people were known as abolitionists.  The treatment of slaves were usually bad but occaisionly it was good.  Some people would rather reward their slaves instead of punishing them.  Slaves would try to resist as much as they could. 
        Sometimes slaves would run away and rewards would be posted up for them.  One form of success to run away is throught the Underground Railroad.  It was a network of black abolitionists who helpes slaves escape to freedom in the North or Cananda. 
 
 
 
 This a picture showing common slave punishment. 
Biography: William Lloyd Garrison

         Southern polictical leaders opposed Haitian independence because it provied a treat to them and it showed that slaves could revolt.  On Haiti a man named Toussaint L’Ouverture, revolted and took over the entire island.  After the French Revolution, it was suppose to grant the people on Saint Domingue their citzenship.  In 1794, France officialy abolished slavery in its colonies.  All this was due to Toussaint’s rebellion.  After a while, Toussaint went on to try to get Haiti an independent country.  The southern policitical leaders oppose this because it showed how slaves could revolt and gain freedom. So this was a bad example for the slaves in America and gave them ideas.  Jefferson in particular at that time tried to shut down all influence from the Carribean islands fearing that slave uprisings in America could occur.  He also told Congress not to trade with Haiti.  Naturally, the Haitian encomny suffered and Jefferson blamed it was the fault of African’s ruling themselves. 
       The influence the Haitian Revolution had on the slaves in America was that it reminded them that they themselves could have liberty and happiness if they were only willing to fight for it, like Toussaint.  It also resulted in revolts that were later to come. 
 
 
 
Next Page