Ch. 11 Cotton Revolution

Hist 2610

Petit Gulf Cotton

A hybrid strain of cotton developed in 1833 that was easier to process and produced more usable cotton.

Indian Removal

The forced migration of Native Americans from their lands in the Southeast to reservations west of the Mississippi River, primarily during the 1820s and 1830s.

This policy opened up vast tracts of land for white settlement and cotton production.

Cotton Belt

The region in the southern United States where cotton production flourished, stretching from South Carolina to Texas.

It became known as the “Black belt”, both for its fertile soil and the large population of enslaved African Americans who worked the land.

Tobacco

A major agricultural crop in the South prior to the rise of cotton.

Its cultivation depleted soil nutrients, leading to the need for new land and contributing to westward expansion.

Capitalism

An economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of production and the pursuit of profit.

The Cotton Revolution, fueled by slavery and the desire for wealth, exemplified this in its most raw and exploitative form.

Slave Resistance

Acts of defiance and opposition to slavery by enslaved people.

This took various forms, from subtle acts of sabotage to outright rebellion, and demonstrated the resilience and agency of enslaved people.

Economics of slavery

The economic system of the South that relied on enslaved labor for the production of cotton and other crops.

This system led to a concentration of wealth and power among a small elite of white planters.

Racism

The belief in the inherent superiority of one race over another.

Racism was used to justify slavery and the brutal treatment of enslaved people.

internal slave trade

The buying and selling of enslaved people within the United States, particularly from the Upper South to the Cotton Belt.

This trade separated families, increased the demand for enslaved labor, and fueled the expansion of slavery.

Urbanization

The growth of cities and towns.

The Cotton Revolution contributed to urbanization in the South, as port cities like New Orleans, Charleston, and Mobile grew rapidly to handle the export of cotton.

Steamboat

A boat powered by a steam engine. Steamboats revolutionized river transportation, making it easier and faster to transport goods, including cotton, from the interior to port cities.

Slave families

Families formed by enslaved people despite the constant threat of separation through sale or death.

Family ties provided a sense of community, identity, and support within the brutal system of slavery.

Mississippi River

The major river system of the United States that flowed through the heart of the Cotton Belt.

It became a vital transportation route for the movement of cotton and enslaved people.

Sexual violence

Acts of sexual assault and exploitation, particularly against enslaved women.

Enslavers used sexual violence as a tool of control and domination over enslaved women, who had no legal protection against such abuse.

Southern religion

The dominant religious culture in the South, primarily evangelical Christianity, which was used to both justify and challenge slavery.

Southern ministers often defended slavery as a divinely ordained institution, while enslaved people developed their own interpretations of Christianity that offered hope and resistance.

Paternalism

The belief that white enslavers acted as benevolent guardians over enslaved people, providing for their needs and protecting them.

This ideology masked the brutality of slavery and sought to legitimize the power of enslavers.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

A slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1831.

This rebellion, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of white people, terrified white southerners and led to increased repression of enslaved people.

Honor culture

A social system that emphasized personal reputation and the defense of one's honor, particularly among white men.

This culture led to a prevalence of violence, including dueling, as men sought to protect their reputations.

Dueling

A formal ritualized combat between two men to settle a dispute of honor.

Dueling, while illegal, was a common practice among upper-class white men in the South.

Cult of domesticity

An ideology that idealized the role of women as wives and mothers, confining them to the domestic sphere and emphasizing their moral virtue.

This ideology restricted women's participation in public life and reinforced patriarchal norms.