Plantations and Slavery Spread The Cotton Boom Cotton

Plantations and Slavery Spread

The Cotton Boom • Cotton Gin (Eli Whitney)-made the cotton cleaning process much more efficient; from 1 pound a day per worker to 50 pounds per day • The Cotton gin changed southern life in 4 important ways • • It triggered a move westward; cotton could now be grown in more areas Because cotton was valuable, more was grown and exports increased More Native Americans were driven off of Southern land Cotton growing required a large labor force so the need for slaves grew

Cotton and Slaves • As cotton earning rose, so did the price of slaves • Slavery divided white southerners into those who held slaves and those who did not • Large slave holders were the wealthiest people in the South • 1/3 of white families held slaves • Most southern farmers supported slavery even though they owned no slaves • Slavery also divided black southerners into those that were slaves and those that were free

Slave Culture • Many slaves turned to religion and music • Spirituals- religious folk songs • Attempted to have close family ties although families were often separated by slave auctions

Slave Rebellions 1. Gabriel Prosser 1. Planned an attack on Richmond, VA in 1800 2. Denmark Vesey 1. Planned an attack on Charleston, SC in 1822 2. Attack was diverted; claimed that between 6, 000 and 9, 000 slaves would have been involved 3. Nat Turner 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Virginia, 1831 70 followers killed 55 white men, women and children 16 of Turner’s followers killed Turner hanged 200 African Americans killed in revenge New, harsh laws imposed in the South