Slavery

 Which picture impacted you the most and why? What emotions did it bring out?

 Why are most of the slide show drawings and not photographs of the slavery?

 How does that effect our understanding of the slave experience?

Mudsill Theory

• What are the points of Hammond?

Lincoln’s Rebuttal to Mudsill Theory

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Middle Passage

• • • Voyage from Africa to Western Hemisphere US slave trade – 1520? Or 1619 Hardships – Long journey – Packed tight – Little food – “shark trails”

Early Colonial Slavery

 Existed in both North and South  Chattel slavery- absolute ownership of the slave (ability to sell, trade, control)  1662- House of Burgesses passed “partus” law- all children would follow the status of the mother, not father  Why?

 Only 5% of all African slaves came to North America

Slavery Expands

• Early Expansion • Bacon’s Rebellion  Basically the end of indentured servants • Cotton Gin • Westward Expansion • “King Cotton”  ½ of the world’s cotton came from the US South. Effect?

  Most of the world banned slavery but this fact allowed for implicit acceptance of Southern slavery!!!!

½ of all US exports was cotton     Only slave population in history to expand by itself • Why?

 Allowed, actually encouraged to marry  “Incentive breeding”- owners would entice female slaves to have certain number of babies in return for freedom Illegal slave traders 1790-700,000 slaves 1860- 4 million

Brutality vs. Economics vs. _________ vs. Myths

Brutality – They were considered property, not people – Whippings/lashings – “breakers” – branding – Dusk to dawn work in fields – Tropical deep South – “bean eaters” – Broken families “Sold down the river” – Slave quarters – “Paternalism”

Brutality Continued

What slaves could not do that we take for granted – Testify against a white person – Leave home without permission – Carry a gun – Education – Gather in a group without a white person – Marry without permission from master – Resist sexual assault

Economics

$400 average cost of slave in 1850 – About $13,000 in today’s $$ (18yr male around $1700) Slaves represented ½ of the wealth of the South Capitalism vs. Brutality?

– Treatment of slaves – Resale value?

– Health – “niggers and mules” vs. immigrants – Overtime pay – Many slaves eventually bought their freedom or released by slave owners (many more than free from Underground Railroad)

Generalizations

What is the problem in talking about the “slavery experience in the United States”?

For a group of people of 4 million people, and the thousands that owned them, sold them, traded them, worked with them, its impossible for every experience to be the same!!!!

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MYTHS

The “Colonel Sanders” Myth    Only ¼ of white southern families owned slaves, 5% of pop.

1700 families owned over 100 slaves 2/3rds owned 10 or less “hillbillies”, “rednecks” and “poor white trash”  They really did exist!!!!

Slaves were helpless      Many fled in Underground Railroad “black laziness”- just enough to prevent the whip  Drapetomania/ Dysaethesia Aethiopica Many were taught to read Stole food from the “big house”, damaged equipment to slow down work, poisoned food Slave revolts Northern sympathy/love for the slaves    They were dependent on slavery also- textile mills!!

Most were racist also!! Segregation in the North!

Northern Abolitionists made up the vast minority of the North

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Myths

Only the North had free blacks   ¼ million free blacks in the South, basically the exact same number as free blacks in the North Skilled laborers/ artisans  Only whites owned slaves  3,000 blacks owned over 20,000 slaves in 1860!!

 Masters named slaves  Most slaves were named for D.O.B. (Tuesday, April etc.), or after grandparents  Slavery got rid of African culture  Slaves kept many traditions and combined their experiences to create a distinct culture (songs, religion, dance etc.)

 “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black races – that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything.”

Inaugural Speech of Abraham Lincoln- 1861

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I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.

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Slave Revolts

New York Slave Revolt-1712 Stono Rebellion-1739  Led to 1740 Negro Act New York Slave Insurrection-1741 Gabriel’s Rebellion-1800  Laws to ban education/ hiring out Boxley Rebellion-1815 Denmark Vessey’s Uprising-1822     He founded African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E)Church in S.C.

Former slave Plot leaked (like most), and he and 34 other hung The Citadel Nat Turner Rebellion-1831     Killed 60 whites in Virginia (most recorded) Banned education for free blacks White minister must be present at black church services Banned voting for free blacks John Brown-1859

Tutoring- Saturday 9 am

 Notes on Underground Railroad  Video on Underground Railroad