Apush Notes Chapter 16
The South and the Slavery Controversy
"Cotton Is King!"
Eli Whitney's 1793 cotton gin invention revolutionized the Southern economy. Added to mechanical jennies to spin yarn, power looms to weave, and sewing machines to sew, the demand (and profits) for cotton fiber skyrocketed.
Southerners scrambled to plant more cotton.
The land was usually worn out then discarded ("land butchery"). The result was a Southern thirst for still more land.
The demand for slaves to work the land also increased.
The "Cotton Kingdom" benefited the North as well since most of the South's cotton was woven on Northern looms.
In 1845, cotton made up 1/2 of all American exports. Also, 1/2 of the world's cotton was grown in the American South. (These numbers would each swell to 2/3 in 1861, the year the Civil War began).
Notably, Britain relied heavily on Southern cotton. About 1/5 of the British population made their living in the cotton textile industry. 3/4 of the British cotton came from the American South.
Southerners believed their importance in the world's economy was set in stone. If war were to break out over slavery, the logic went, Southerners were sure that Britain would have no choice but to come to their aid. This logic, though sensible based on the numbers, never panned out.
The Planter “Aristocracy”
The antebellum (pre-Civil War) South was an oligarchy (government by a few elite).
Only 1,733 families owned 100+ slaves in 1850. They ruled the South in a "cottonocracy."
Southern society is shrouded in myths. The scene, often shown in movies, of huge plantations with the Greek-columned "big house" overseeing hundreds of slaves was true, but only for those 1,733 families.
These elite families sent their sons off to Ivy League schools or to military schools like West Point, the Citadel, or VMI. The Southern belles were expected to marry and eventually run the plantation household.
Education in the South was lacking. This was because the rich elite simply hired
"Cotton Is King!"
Eli Whitney's 1793 cotton gin invention revolutionized the Southern economy. Added to mechanical jennies to spin yarn, power looms to weave, and sewing machines to sew, the demand (and profits) for cotton fiber skyrocketed.
Southerners scrambled to plant more cotton.
The land was usually worn out then discarded ("land butchery"). The result was a Southern thirst for still more land.
The demand for slaves to work the land also increased.
The "Cotton Kingdom" benefited the North as well since most of the South's cotton was woven on Northern looms.
In 1845, cotton made up 1/2 of all American exports. Also, 1/2 of the world's cotton was grown in the American South. (These numbers would each swell to 2/3 in 1861, the year the Civil War began).
Notably, Britain relied heavily on Southern cotton. About 1/5 of the British population made their living in the cotton textile industry. 3/4 of the British cotton came from the American South.
Southerners believed their importance in the world's economy was set in stone. If war were to break out over slavery, the logic went, Southerners were sure that Britain would have no choice but to come to their aid. This logic, though sensible based on the numbers, never panned out.
The Planter “Aristocracy”
The antebellum (pre-Civil War) South was an oligarchy (government by a few elite).
Only 1,733 families owned 100+ slaves in 1850. They ruled the South in a "cottonocracy."
Southern society is shrouded in myths. The scene, often shown in movies, of huge plantations with the Greek-columned "big house" overseeing hundreds of slaves was true, but only for those 1,733 families.
These elite families sent their sons off to Ivy League schools or to military schools like West Point, the Citadel, or VMI. The Southern belles were expected to marry and eventually run the plantation household.
Education in the South was lacking. This was because the rich elite simply hired