Transcript Slavery
Slavery King CottonSouth is a major supplier of cotton for the world. The North would not dare declare war on King Cotton Staple Crop- a crop produced in mass amounts of quantity to sell for a profit Cotton-required lots of labor for picking and separating seeds Cotton gin- increased demand for cotton Cotton exhausts the land of its nutrients, so necessary to constantly look for new land Manifest Destiny-new land for South Other Staple crops Sugar (high profits) most demanding labor in South, slaves worked 18hr days Rice (high profit) required large # of slaves, very dangerous because grew in swamps, malaria and snake bites were deadly Slavery itself became a staple crop and produced high profits. Slave owners encouraged slaves to have children to increase their wealth Middle Passage Economics of Slavery In the late 1700’s – Many farmers were shifting from tobacco and cotton to grain crops because they required less labor. 1793 – Cotton Gin – Eli Whitney This single event stopped any downward trend in the slave labor trade. Soon thousands of “wouldbe” cotton farmers poured into the South Economics of Slavery Price for a black male, 20 years old $700 - $1650 the average is $1200 Price for a child slave $875 average Price for a black female, 20 years old $600 - $1550 the average $1100 Average rate of return 6-8% Work expectancy 30 years x 7% =210% Capital return in industry in the North was 6% Slave Auction New Orleans and Richmond had the most slave auctions Class System of Slaves Skilled craftsmen House servants Overseer Slave Driver Field hand Slave Owners One out of 4 southern farmers owned slaves 75% of white southerners did not own any slaves yet they held the wealth and power in the community Of the 25% who owned slaves 1% owned 100 or more slaves 10% owned 20 to 99 slaves 39% owned 5 to 19 slaves 50% owned 1 to 4 slaves Slave Population 1790: 700,000 1850: 3,200,000 1860: 4,000,000 Slave trade ends in 1808 Abolition The movement to abolish or end slavery Slavery ends in the north in early 1800s Religious and reform movements give new life to antislavery movements First movement aimed at relocating slaves in Liberia