The Cotton Revolution

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from the lecture notes about the Cotton Revolution and the social structure of the South.

Antebellum Age

The period that brought dramatic changes to the social and economic life of the South.

Cotton gin & Petit Gulf Cotton

Increased agricultural revenue and demand for slaves.

Plantation Elites

Small minority (about 2% of the population) that controlled politics and the economy in the South.

Urban Centers

Served as hubs of shipping and trade in the South.

Small-Scale Farmers

Lived in the South, dabbling in cotton but primarily growing food for their families and profit.

Poor Whites

Populated the South, often leasing land and typically not owning slaves due to cost.

Mountain Whites

Resided in southern mountain ranges, largely isolated and fiercely independent, often resenting wealthy slave owners.

Freedmen

Sought safety in numbers in southern cities, having gained freedom through escape, earning it, or manumission.

Slaves

More than 4 million in the South by 1860, facing restrictions on marriage, literacy, and family stability.

Negro Spiritual

Unique religious music form performed acapella that emerged from plantation culture.