Key term 13

What does the Mason-Dixon Line symbolize?

It symbolizes the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, symbolically dividing the free North and the slaveholding South.

What was the Cotton Kingdom?

Region in the Deep South (SC to TX) where cotton production and slavery dominated the economy after the invention of the cotton gin.

What were Slave Codes?

Strict laws passed in Southern states to control enslaved people, ensuring total submission and prohibiting education, movement, and rebellion.

What is Miscegenation?

Interracial sexual relationships that white Southerners feared, using it to oppose emancipation and justify slavery.

Who is a Planter?

A large-scale landowner who owned 20 or more enslaved people and dominated political and economic life.

What characterizes a Plantation?

A large agricultural estate focused on cash crops like cotton, reliant on enslaved labor, including various buildings.

What is Paternalism in the context of slavery?

 The ideology used by slaveholders to justify slavery as a system that cared for and “civilized” enslaved people, masking exploitation as benevolence.

What does Chivalry refer to in the Southern context?

Southern ideal of male honor and gallantry; emphasized the defense of womanhood and white supremacy, often tied to violence like dueling.

Who were the Yeomen?

Independent small farmers who owned land but typically no slaves; they often supported slavery politically and aspired to move up socially.

What is the Plantation Belt?

Lowland areas in the South where plantation agriculture and slavery were most concentrated and economically dominant.

What is the Upcountry?

Hilly, less fertile, and less slave-dependent region; small-scale farming was common, and slavery was less practical due to terrain and climate.

Who are Free Blacks?

African Americans who were not enslaved; they faced significant legal and social restrictions, especially in the South, despite their status.

What does Emancipation refer to?

The act of freeing enslaved individuals; Southern whites feared it would lead to social upheaval and miscegenation.

What type of agriculture was common in the North?

Small-scale farming with crops like wheat, corn, and dairy.

What dominated agriculture in the South during the 19th century?

The Cotton Kingdom—plantation agriculture powered by enslaved labor.

How was the North characterized in terms of industrial development?

Highly industrialized with many factories and urban centers.

What was urbanization like in the South?

Mostly rural with only 12% urbanization and few factories.

How did white racial attitudes differ in the North?

Though racism existed, many opposed slavery and supported abolition.

What defined white racial attitudes in the South?

Strong support for slavery, belief in Black inferiority, and strict enforcement through slave codes.

What kind of economic diversity existed in the North?

The North had a varied economy: farming, factories, finance, and trade.

What type of labor system was dominant in the South?

Plantation agriculture with enslaved labor; limited economic diversity.

What was the population trend in the North?

Rapid growth fueled by immigration, especially Irish and Germans.

What was the population trend in the South?

Few immigrants; 1 in 3 people were Black, and 95% of all Black Americans lived in the South.