African America Literature

Slavery and the South

 The supply of tobacco was also higher than the demand.

 Rice and indigo production was bringing little profit.

 Prices of slaves were rapidly decreasing and the whole system of slavery was no longer profitable.

The Cotton Gin- Eli Whitney

made cultivating cotton more profitable because it dramatically reduced the time spent in separating the seeds from the cotton fiber

6 major features of Southern Economy:

 Many plantation owners switched from indigo, rice and tobacco to cotton.

 The demand for slaves to be exported from Africa increased.

 Price of slaves increased.

 New Lands were cleared westward, Cotton Farms grew.

 Cotton production dramatically increased from 1793 to 1860

Slave Trade Act 1807

British government outlawed the importation of slaves from Africa to British colonies

As a result, Great Britain emancipated the slaves in their colonial possessions

The government paid slave owners for their slaves

US Government followed, but it was poorly enforced

In 1820, Congress passed a tougher law making slave trade an act punishable by death

Southern Economy 1820

The supply of cotton was greater than the demand, so the price of cotton plummeted

Civil War and Emanicpation

Differences between North and South

Strife between the North and South grew As Indians were pushed westward by force and legislation and newly purchased territories were populated by White Americans -- many of which were European Immigrants (i.e. Louisiana Purchase from France, 1803).

Should the new territories be slaveholding? Should economy be based on agriculture or

industry? Should runaways from South to North be returned or be free?

North- Industry

South-Agriculture

Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party

Republican Party- platform was to Abolish Slavery

Elected November 6, 1860 (carried all the freed states and none of the slave states)

Northern/Southern tensions grew b/c of issue of slavery

Compensation Emancipation was used to bring the seceded Southern States back to the Union

Civil War

Black were initially rejected to join the Union

* Law banned blacks from barring arms in the military

* Incapable of fighting

* Allowing them to fight would put them on the same plane as whites

* Could only be spies or other non-combat related task

Blacks Assisted the Confederacy

* Slaves not allowed in fear of rebellion

* Robert Smalls was one of the famous slaves (Charleston, SC)

23 year old slave, employed by Confederates as a pilot of the USS Planter who sailed the ship along with 6 other slaves wife and family. He sailed past Fort Sumter, delivering the ship to Union forces. Union hailed him as a hero. Destroyed the stereotype that blacks were cowards or inferior, incapable of fighting for the Union. He met with Lincoln and succeeded in convincing him to letting black fight.

Abe Lincoln and the Emancipation

Freed