Plantations Plantations and and Slavery Spread Slavery Spread
Dec 15, 2015
PlantationsPlantations and and
Slavery SpreadSlavery Spread
I. The Cotton Boom
Eli Whitney• Cotton was becoming
too unprofitable
• One slave could only clean one pound of cotton a day
• He invented a cotton gin (engine)
• Now one slave could clean 50 pounds a day
The Cotton Gin
How the Cotton Gin Works
Effects of the Cotton Gin
• More people began to move west
• People began to grow more cotton than other goods because it was valuable
• More Native Americans were pushed off their land
• Slavery increased
II. Slavery Expands
With the increase in cotton production came an increase in slavery
III. Slavery Divides the South
Cotton Production in the South
White Population of the South
PlantationOwners
Small Farmers
PoorWhites
Called Planters – Very Rich
Called Yeoman-Plain folk
Had 20 orMore slaves
Less than 10 % of population
Worked along side slaves
Did not own land
15% of White Population
75% of population
African Americans In the South
Free Slaves
Could not vote
Could not travel
Feared being kidnapped andSold into slavery
1/3 of total Southern population
Most worked asField hands
Either born free orFreed by their master
Compare/Contrast Slaves/Owners
IV. Finding Strength in Religion
Slave Religion• Some slaveholders used
religion to make slaves accept their treatment
• Slaves were inspired by the stories of Moses and folk tales
• Slaves expressed their religion through religious folk songs called spirituals
V. Slave Rebellions
Nat Turner’s Rebellion• Led the most famous
of rebellions
• 8/21/31 Turner and 70 followers killed 55
• Most of Turner’s men were captured or killed when they ran out of ammo
• Turner was caught and hanged
Effects of Turner’s Rebellion• 200 African Americans were killed
in revenge• Laws were passed to keep slaves
and free African Americans from buying guns or alcohol
• Slaves could not hold religious services w/out a white person
• Anti-slavery publications were banned