Notes on Slavery and Society in the American Civil War

Indentured servants were the initial means to fulfill labor needs in the American colonies.
They worked for four to five years in exchange for free passage to Virginia, eventually gaining their freedom.
The Crown rewarded planters with 50 acres of land for each person brought to the New World, leading to colonial expansion.
This expansion was met with resistance from Native American confederacies, notably the Powhatan.

Definition: Slavery is a system where individuals are treated as property of others.
English colonists faced challenges to enslave Native Americans due to high mortality rates and stereotypes.
The costs of indentured servants increased, making lifelong slaves a more economically favorable option.
The perception that Africans' dark skin justified slavery was influenced by Biblical interpretations, racial views, and ethnocentrism.

A triangular trade network developed between the colonies, Africa, and the West Indies:
- New England sent rum to Africa in exchange for slaves.
- Africa exported slaves to the West Indies for working on plantations producing sugar cane and tobacco.
- The West Indies then exported sugar and molasses back to New England, which was used to produce rum.

The Middle Passage refers to the brutal transatlantic voyage to transport enslaved Africans.
On average, 20% or more of the Africans on board perished due to disease, abuse, or suicide.
In the South, 80%-90% of enslaved individuals worked in the fields, while 10%-20% served in households or as artisans.
Enslaved individuals worked full-time from around age 12 until death, often for long hours, facing physical abuse for perceived disobedience.

Economics: Cotton was referred to as "King Cotton", forming the backbone of the Southern economy.
Identity and Culture: Southerners identified strongly with cotton as part of their heritage; fear of black uprisings led to a rigid class and race structure.
Population Dynamics: Slave population grew from 700,000 in 1790 to 4 million by 1850.
- By 1850, approximately 25% of whites owned slaves.
- A small percentage of planters controlled a significant portion of slave ownership.

Enslaved people experienced high mortality rates, with black life expectancy in their 20s compared to 40s for whites.
Slave codes were established, limiting enslaved individuals' rights, such as restrictions on gun ownership, marriage recognition, and literacy.
Major distinctions existed between "house slaves" (15%-20%) who had closer contact with families and "field slaves" (75%) who worked extensive hours in harsh conditions.

Forms of resistance included slow work, feigning illness, breaking tools, theft, and runaways.
Significant uprisings included:
- Gabriel Prosser (1800) who organized a rebellion in Virginia but was thwarted by bad weather and informants.
- Denmark Vesey (1822) who aimed to lead 100 men in revolt.
- Nat Turner (1831) who led a rebellion that resulted in the death of 70 individuals, followed by a harsh crackdown on slaves.

Following revolts, Southern states enacted stricter slave codes to limit freedoms and opportunities for both free and enslaved blacks.
Pro-slavery advocates intensified defenses of slavery by invoking religious texts and promoting narratives of the "happy slave".
By the 1830s, the South aggressively defended slavery in reaction to Northern abolitionist movements, leading to more stringent laws and a racial hierarchy.

Southern economies began showing increased diversification by depending on cotton and slavery while witnessing a decline of slavery in the Upper South and increasing immigrant labor.
Continuing rebellions and the calls for abolition intensified the fears of slave owners, prompting further tightening of slave codes.
The complex interdependencies and tensions ultimately contributed to the onset of the American Civil War.