Southern Culture, 1800-1865 Notes

Southern Culture, 1800-1865

The Ante-Bellum South and the Slave Society

• Historical Interpretations:
  • Post-Reconstruction and early 20th Century historians like U.B. Phillips focused on "Life and Labor in the Old South."
  • Post-WWII theories emerged, including Stanley Elkins' "Sambo Theory" in the 1960s.
  • John Blassingame's "Slave Community" (1972) offered a different perspective.

Race, Slavery, and the Legal System

• Nature of Slavery:
  • Defined as a system of legal chattel slavery where people were considered property.
  • Rooted in Common Law custom and upheld by Constitutional Law through Slave Codes.
• Controversial Legal Cases:
  • Amistad Case challenged the legality of the slave trade.
  • Dred Scott Decision further entrenched the institution of slavery in the legal system.

Forms and Existence of Slavery

• Economic System:
  • The Planter Class controlled over 50\% of the land and wealth through industrial agriculture.
  • Small farmers had a meager surplus.
  • Slaves provided the majority of physical labor.
• Political System:
  • Reinforced archaic values, hierarchy of wealth and birth, and male dominance.

Slave Demographics and Distribution

• Slave Population Growth: Increased from 0.9 million in 1800 to 4.0 million in 1860.
• Planter Class:
  • Constituted 10\% of the Southern population.
  • 1\% owned over 100 slaves indicating significant wealth concentration.
  • 10-15\% of slave owners possessed over 20 slaves.
• Distribution:
  • In 1800, over 50\% of slaves were on small farms.
  • By 1850, 75\% were on Plantations, indicating a shift in the scale of agriculture.
• Small Farmers:
  • Only 33\% of White Males owned slaves.
  • 80\% owned less than 10 slaves.

Slave Conditions

• Work Regimen:
  • Task System: Slaves were assigned specific tasks to complete each day.
  • Gang System: Slaves worked in groups under supervision.
• Living Conditions: Varied between field and house servants.
• Culture in the Quarters: Developed its own forms of music, festivals, relationships, and religion.

Slave Resistance

• Active Resistance:
  • Gabriel Prosser's rebellion in 1800.
  • Denmark Vesey's plot in 1822.
  • Nat Turner's Rebellion in 1831.
• Passive Resistance: Took various forms, symbolized by figures like "Sambo" and "Jim Crow."

Slavery and Gender

• White Male Dominance: Defined both public and private spheres.
• Impact on Identity: Affected the identity of both white and enslaved individuals.
• De-Feminization of Slave Women: Slave women were often subjected to harsh treatment and denied traditional feminine roles.
• Female Subjection: All women, regardless of race, were subject to male authority within the patriarchal system.
• Representations of Women: Plantation Mistress, Jezebel (a stereotype of Black women), and Mammy (a stereotype of Black women).

Slavery's Economic and Social Impact

• Economic Debate: In the 19th century, there was a deconstruction of "slave" labor in favor of wage labor.
• Communal Context of Civil War: Race became a defining element of the South and a national concept.
• Southern Nationalism: Fueled by events like the Nullification Crisis (1832) and the Fugitive Slave Law (1854).
• Political Developments: Formation of the Republican Party in 1854.
• Key Figures: John C. Calhoun, a prominent Southern politician. Southern Culture, 1800-1865