Slavery in the Old South

The “Peculiar Institution”

the system of chattel slavery in the Southern United States before the Civil War. The term was used by Southerners to highlight slavery as a unique and essential part of their economy and society, especially after it was abolished in the North, which made it unique to the Southern states. 

“Cotton is King”

a pre-Civil War slogan used to assert the South's economic power based on its dominance as a cotton producer

“Slave Power”

the disproportionate political influence of slaveholding Southern elites over the U.S. federal government during the Antebellum period

Tejanos

Texans of Mexican or Spanish descent who were living in Texas prior to its statehood

Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana

a Mexican general and statesman who served as president multiple times, becoming a central figure in both the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War

Stephen F. Austin

a pivotal figure in U.S. history, known as the "Father of Texas" for leading the first successful Anglo-American colonization of the region under a Mexican land grant

Texas Revolt

a conflict in which American and Tejano settlers fought against the Mexican government for independence, ultimately leading to the creation of the Republic of Texas

Underground Railroad

a secret, informal network of people, routes, and safe houses that helped enslaved African Americans escape from the South to freedom in the North and Canada before the Civil War

Harriet Tubman

a former slave who escaped and then became a legendary conductor on the Underground Railroad, returning south to guide many enslaved people to freedom

The Amistad

a 1839 mutiny on the Spanish slave ship La Amistad, where enslaved Africans revolted and attempted to sail back to Africa

Denmark Vesay’s Conspiracy

a planned slave revolt in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1822, led by a free Black man named Denmark Vesey

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

an August 1831 uprising in Virginia led by the enslaved preacher Nat Turner, who, believing he was divinely commanded, led an armed group that killed approximately 60 white people