Chapter 16-17

Cotton Gin

A machine for cleaning the seeds from cotton fibers, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793

Greatly expanded slavery

Profit from Cotton

Ships loaded with cotton and sent to European countries like Britain in return for sterling to buy manufactured goods

Paternalism

allowed masters to see themselves as benevolent compared to cold, mercenary, capitalism of free labor north. Justified through the Bible, also that black people were inherently inferior to whites. Not to keep them enslaved would disrupt the natural order.

Slaves Tasks

House Servants

Slave Drivers

Skilled Craftsmen

Field Hands

Growth of Slavery After End of Slave Trade

women used to breed babies

Punishments on Slaves

Separation

Mutilation (inflict heavy damage on slave)

- used whip often

- Breakers were used for strong willed slaves

Knowledge of Slaves

only 5% could read - most illiterate

they were denied education

Harsh Slave Conditions

fed as little as ten cents a day

exposure to diseases

worked from dawn to dusk

Religions of Slaves

Heavily Christianized

Mixed in African Culture with Christian Culture

Created responsorial style of preaching

Nat Turner's Rebellion

Rebellion in which Nat Turner led a group of slaves through Virginia in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow and kill planter families

Southern fears would be magnified and they thought the rebellions were linked with North

Sectionalism between South and North

South vs North

Oligarchy vs Democracy

Slaves vs No Slaves

Agriculture vs Manufacturing

Repelled European Immigration vs North accepting

Wanted New States to have slavery vs North did not

More belief in Manifest Destiny vs Less belief in manifest Destiny

Wage Slaves

Northern factory workers. Long hours, low pay. Similar of slaves in the South. Led to labor unions and worker strikes.

Lowell Mills

First Cotton Mill

Most of the labor force was women (young, unmarried) and children.

Worked for a short time and would save money.

Prior to the Civil War, Irish immigrants replaced the old workforce.

Cult of Domesticity

Women should stay in homes and men should work

Manifest Destiny

John O' Sullivan argued that Americans had a God-given right to bring the benefits of American democracy to other, more backward people (Mexicans and Indians) by force if necessary.

Effect of Manifest Destiny

Hard for factory workers to find men to work in their factories so they began to fill with immigrants

Led to Whigs opposition

Led to Insurrections with Canada and wanting to expand Westward

Could argue that it led to Mexican American War

Aroostook War

Only war declared by a state (Maine)

Canadian lumberjacks in the disputed area of Aroostook

Congress called up men for the 'war" to keep the land

Resolved with Webster-Ashburton Treaty

Polk Four Goals

Lower Tariff for Southerners - Walker Tariff

Restoration of Independent Treasury

Acquisition of California

Settle Oregon Boundary Dispute

Causes of Mexican American War

Annexation of Texas

Denial of Slidell's proposal for California and New Mexico

Mexico Army capturing Taylor's army that went into Mexico Territory to justify war

General Stephen Kearny

Succeeded in Taking Santa Fe

Captain Fremont

Bear Flag of the Republic

would work with naval officers to battle in California

General Taylor

fought in Battle of Buena Vista

5k vs 25k troops but managed to repulse Mexicans

General Winfield Scott

"Old Fuss and Feathers",

hero from the War of 1812;

had several handicaps (disease, terrain, lack of troops), but battled his way to Mexico City, in one of the most brilliant military campaigns in American history;

developed armistice with Mexico with $10,000 with Chief Clerk of State Department Trist

most distinguished general between the revolution and the Civil Wwar

Conscience Whigs

Antislavery Whigs who were opposing the "damnable war" and threaten to vote down supplies for the armies in the field

Wilmot Proviso

New Territories acquired from Mexico should forbidden from permitting slavery

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Treaty that ended the Mexican War, granting the U.S. control of Texas, New Mexico, and California in exchange for $15 million in 1848