Antebellum Georgia

King Cotton►Eli Whitney in 1793 invented a machine

for separating cotton seeds from its fiber

►Increased the amount cotton growers could process each day

►The cotton gin used wire teeth on a turning cylinder to separate the seed from fiber

►Since farmers were now able to do more work each day, many farmers wanted to move westward so that they could have even larger farms.

Economy Owners worth was measured in the amount

of slaves owned.Land inexpensive½ of Georgia’s wealth was in slavesSlave worth compared to cost of pound of

cotton.

Slave Markets: Savannah, Augusta, Macon, and Louisville

Cotton mills, tanneries, shoe factories, iron, brick, pottery

Facts and Terms Antebellum: period before the Civil War1732: Georgia’s original charter outlawed

slavery (promoted laziness)1619: Slavery began in North America

Dutch traders brought slaves to the tobacco fields

Slave trading ships docked in Savannah, New Orleans and Charleston

Communications between slaves was difficult due in part that they didn’t speak English, but also because of their many different dialectsOwners felt the inability to communicate

would keep the slaves from uprising.

Some Differences Between North and SouthClass Structure: North generally

based on wealth; South based on wealth and being “born into the right family”

Slavery: Practice of forcing a person, that was considered property, to work for you with no pay and with no rights. North wanted it abolished (done away with); South supported it

In the South, the wealthiest had the most land and the most slaves

North v. SouthNorth

Industrial Poor climate Short growing season Factories, mines,

banks Railroads North wanted tariffs on

foreign goods so it’s products would become cheaper

Large cities Nightlife, arts, sports,

dinner, dancing

South Agricultural

“Cotton is King” Cotton, tobacco, rice Planters and farmers

South was against tariffs as many of their goods were from foreign countries

Little time for leisure activities Revivals, quilting bees,

hunting, horse racing Quiet and predictable

Antebellum TransportationHorses, carriages, dirt roads…. time consuming

River systemSteamboats (1820): went mostly north-south

Railroads (1833): all directions…Charleston to Augusta… (1843) Savannah to Macon and Atlanta to Chattanooga

Antebellum EducationNot considered important—Agriculture was

much more important! The wealthy hired private teachers“Old Field Schools”: built in the fields

that were no longer being usedReading, writing, arithmetic (The 3 ‘R’s)

1858: Georgia set aside $100,000 for free schooling

1851: Georgia Military Institute (Marietta) and the Georgia Academy for the Blind

1859: 1st Law School established in Athens

Antebellum Religion Great Revival Movement of the

early 1800sMethodists and Baptists had the

most members.Other churches were growing as

wellEpiscopal, Catholic, Presbyterian…

Religious revivals and camp meetings grew in popularity

Slave Religion and EducationTwo places of worship:

Plantation where owners and slaves met (Obey!)

Slave quarters where black preachers talked of freedom and justice

Education:Against the law for an owner to teach

slaves to read or writeFeared that educated slaves could

communicate and organize uprisings

Slave Life Food:

Fatback, molasses, cornbread, fish, vegetables, squirrel, rabbit…

Clothes: Wide hats, heavy shoes, clothes that didn’t fit

right, made of long-lasting materialHouse slaves treated better than field slaves

Housing: One room huts with fireplace; small, crowded

smoky Work:

Long hours, bent over, sun up to sun down, blue collarWomen: Sewing, child care

Slave Families Very strong, close Extended beyond the plantation “White” law did not recognize slave marriages Families would become separated due to changes

in the owner’s life I.e.... Marriage, death…

Overseer: managed the slaves on a day-to-day basis; hired by slave owner Administered punishment

Driver: an older slave who was loyal to the owner and could manage other slaves

Slave Facts and Terms All slaves did NOT work on the plantations

Some worked as skilled artisans in the towns I.e.. potters, weavers, shoemakers, engravers, printers,

woodworkers… Free Blacks: found in North AND South that were NOT slaves

and considered free Suffered from discrimination: people who are denied their

rights because of a prejudice Voting restrictions, owning property, travel…

Some free blacks who owned their own farms also owned slaves

Fugitive Slave Laws: required that runaway slaves be returned to their masters’.

Slave Codes: eliminated and reduced the rights of slaves Could not testify against whites Could not show disrespect Could not hit or make physical contact Could not carry a weapon

Economic Differences Between North and SouthEconomy: Northern based on mining, industry, banks, stores, and railroads; Southern based on agriculture, including cotton, rice, and indigo

Southerners resented tariffs, which raised import prices; the South imported more than the North

Antebellum Georgia Politics

1840s: the two major political parties were the Democrats and Whigs

Democrats: states’ rights and slavery1856: becomes leading party in Georgia

Whigs: upper social classes who favored small tariffs and federal help for the South

Abolitionist Movement Abolitionist: Northern AND southern whites,

along with free blacks who worked to get rid of slavery through speeches, books, safe houses… William Lloyd Garrison: published “The

Liberator” …Abolitionist newspaper that called for freedom

Harriet Beecher Stowe: wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” …a book about slaves as individuals rather than a group

Frederick Douglass: published “The North Star” …an orator (speech giver) who spoke of the evils of slavery

Sojourner Truth: orator that preached for freedom of all blacks

Harriet Tubman: Underground Railroad- helped slaves escape to the North and Canada

The Missouri Compromise Also known as The Compromise of 1820 At the end of 1819 there were 11 Free States

and 11 Slave States. As our country grew, states prepared to enter the Union (Maine and Missouri). Congress had to decide if the new states were going to enter as Free or Slave States.

Governmental officials were not interested in ending slavery in the slave states, but in keeping newly admitted states from becoming slave states.

Maine entered the Union as a Free State…Missouri entered as a Slave State. There would be no slavery north of the 36.20 degree latitude line. This included any lands west of the southern boundary of Missouri.

Compromise of 1850 California’s population exceeded 100,000;

enough to ask for statehood, which would throw off the balance between slave and free states; this sparked “The Great Debate” –Congress’s debate about what to do with California Senator Henry Clay proposed this compromise:

California became a Free StateSlave trading ended in Washington DCTexas gave up it’s claim on New Mexico

(allowing New Mexico to enter as a Slave state)

Utah and New Mexico got to decide on Slave or Free

Washington DC residents could keep slaves they already own

Congressional Solutions Kansas-Nebraska Act:

Any territory wanting admittance to the Union would be able to decide whether to enter as a free or slave state.Made the North angry as this went

against the Compromise of 1820

“Bleeding Kansas”Abolitionists and pro-slavery groups began

to move into the Kansas Territory armed and ready to fight to gain advantage of the state. When fighting erupted, this became known as “Bleeding Kansas”.Free Soilers: people against slavery

and wanted land to be given to Western settlers for farming

Path to War Dred Scott Decision:

Dred Scott was a slave who sued for his freedom because he claimed he had lived in a Free State (Illinois) when he and his Master moved there.Supreme Court ruled that he could not

sue because he was not a citizen.Supreme Court ruled that Congress had

no right to stop slavery in the territories.

John Brown’s Raid: John Brown and other abolitionists, white and

black, led a raid on a federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, VA.Defeated by U.S. troops led by Col. Robert E.

Lee

Tariffs and Economic Issues

Tariffs: taxes on imported goods1832: South Carolina first started talking

about seceding from the Union because of high tariffs

Panic of 1857: a depression that hit the United States, bankrupting factories and businesses…did not hit the South as bad due to less industryNorth began to call for higher tariffs on

British goods

The Party of LincolnRise of the Republican Party

The Whig Party began to split after the Election of 1852.The northern faction began to lean

towards the abolitionists and less likely to compromise.

1854: became the Republican Party.Free States ONLY!

Election of 1860 Democrats argued at their convention in Charleston as to

what their platform should be. Platform: statement of principles and policies the party

supports. Stephen Douglas (Northern Democrats)

Popular Sovereignty John Breckinridge (Southern Democrats)

Slaves allowed in all territories John Bell (Constitutional Union Party)

Supported the Union and compromise Border state Whigs

Abraham Lincoln (Republican) Protective tariffs, free western land to settlers, construction

of trans-continental railroad, anti-slavery Appeared to be against everything the south wanted

Lincoln won without a single southern electoral vote.

Georgia’s Reaction to Lincoln’s Victory Most Georgians supported the Union,

but were starting to favor states’ rights.Governor Joseph Brown called for a

special session of the state legislature to discuss secession.Secession: the act of pulling away from the Union.

Nov. 21, 1860: Governor Brown called for a Secession Convention

Secession Dec. 20, 1860: South Carolina January 16, 1861: Georgia February 1, 1861: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,

Louisiana, and Texas February 4, 1861:

All the seceded states met in Montgomery, Alabama to form the Confederate States of America

Jefferson Davis –President Robert Toombs (GA) –Secretary of State Alexander Stephens (GA) –Vice President