Lecture 18 – Slavery in the 1800s

A series of flashcards based on Lecture 18 about slavery in the 1800s, covering key concepts, figures, and events related to American slavery and its consequences.

How did slavery in the 1800s differ from earlier forms of American slavery?

Slavery's growth increased significantly, from 700,000 enslaved people in 1790 to 4 million in 1860, affected all Americans, and was intertwined with the Market Revolution.

Who benefitted from slavery in the 1800s?

The elite white planters or 'Plantocracy,' who owned 20 or more slaves, benefiting politically and economically, while 75% of white southerners did not own slaves but supported the system.

What ideologies bolstered the practice of slavery?

Pro-slavery ideologies included racism, the belief in human progress, and assertions of relative equality for whites.

What was the role of the Constitution in relation to slavery?

The Constitution's 3/5 Compromise gave political power advantages to the South, and the fugitive slave clause bound all Americans to uphold slavery.

What was life like for enslaved people?

Enslaved people experienced brutal labor, violence, lack of rights under the law, and a complex culture that included family and religious practices.

What methods did enslaved people use to resist bondage?

Resistance methods included cultural practices, silent sabotage, escape attempts, and occasional armed revolts.

What significant changes occurred in the population of enslaved people from 1790 to 1860?

The number of enslaved people grew from 700,000 in 1790 to over 4 million by 1860.

How did slavery saturate southern life?

Non-slaveholders were linked through family ties, participation in slave patrols, and involvement in local economies reliant on slavery.

What is the significance of the Second Great Awakening in the context of reform movements?

It energized humanitarian reform efforts, emphasizing moral improvement and the elimination of sin, influencing movements like temperance and abolition.

What was the American Temperance Society and its impact?

Founded in 1826, it aimed to reduce alcohol consumption in America due to its association with social ills, growing to 1.5 million members by 1837.

Who was William Lloyd Garrison?

An influential abolitionist who edited 'THE LIBERATOR' and advocated for immediate, uncompensated emancipation and racial equality.

What was the significance of the Dred Scott Decision?

It declared that black individuals could not be citizens and asserted the federal protection of slave property, intensifying sectional tensions.

What was John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry?

John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry was a failed attempt by the abolitionist John Brown in October 1859 to incite a slave revolt in the South by seizing control of a federal arsenal located in Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Brown aimed to arm enslaved individuals to start a rebellion against their masters, believing that such an uprising was necessary for the abolition of slavery. The raid heightened sectional tensions between the North and South, as it was perceived by many in the South as a direct attack on their way of life, ultimately contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War

What were the main phases of Reconstruction following the Civil War?

Reconstruction progressed through three phases: Presidential, Congressional, and Military, addressing reintegration and the rights of newly freed people.

What was the outcome of the 13th Amendment?

It abolished slavery in the United States.