Transcript White Culture of the Antebellum South

White Culture of the
Antebellum South
**Before War
Some other Cultures You Have Studied
The Cotton Kingdom
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Recap: What was the impact cotton had on the Southern
economy? Why do you think many 19th Century
Americans referred to cotton as “King Cotton”?
I. Cotton Economics
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A. Global Demand
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1. The United States supplied 3/4 of the world’s cotton
supply
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2. By 1850, over half of all U.S. exports was cotton
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***If separated from the United States*** The South
would have been considered one of the wealthiest
countries in the world in 1860 based on the value of the
cotton trade.
Who is the leader today?
B. Consequences
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1. Cotton drains the soil of nutrients, and planters were
forced to relocate to continue to make a profit.
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2. An increase in the demand for and the value of slaves.
II. Southern Society
Another way of looking at the data
Major Question to Consider
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If 75% of the White Population did not own slaves, why
was slavery supported?
A. Planter Envy
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1. Owning slaves and becoming a plantation owner was
the goal of most whites living in the South.
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2. The planters were the people who held power in
Southern society.
B. A Closed Mind and a Closed Society
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1. Other than being white, planters had little in common
with yeoman and poor whites.
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2. Religion was used to justify slavery and white
supremacy
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3. Abolitionist writings were banned in many Southern
states.