Sectionalism! North, West, South

Mr. Owens

Essential Questions

• What were the causes and effects of the rise of the cotton industry in the South and how did connect with the industrial and more urban North?

• How did the continued growth and reliance on agriculture contribute to a growing regional identity in the South?

• How did regional interests (sectionalism) often trump national political concerns especially on economic policy and slavery?

The NorthIndustrial & Urban Northeast: textiles, & variety of other goods: farm machinery, clocks & shoes etc.• Organized labor: Working Man’s Party, MA

Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842) unions had right to organize & strike

• Urban Life: 15% of pop. By 1850, opportunities & problems

• African Americans: 250,000 by 1860 (50% of free blacks) faced major discrimination, denied from unions, limited jobs (used as scabs)

Agricultural Northwest: corn & wheat production• Technology: steel plow (John Deere) & mechanical

reaper (Cyrus McCormick) more efficient• New Cities: Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, BuffaloImmigration: surged primarily in North & Northwest

Immigration & NativismSurge due to transportation, problems in Europe & opportunity in America1. Racism - new immigrants viewed as inferior2. Belief that they were socially unfit to live

alongside “natives” (slums)3. Workers: immigrants lowered wages or were

stealing jobs4. Protestants - objected to most immigrants being

Irish or German Catholics5. Whigs - Immigrants supported Democrats6. Politicians - immigrants corrupted politics by

selling their votes (political machines)

Immigration 1820-1860

1840s in response to surge of Irish &

Germans

Know-Nothing Party:“The Supreme Order of the

Star-Spangled Banner”

The West• American Indians: Exodus west by force or choice west

of Mississippi & many adapt to the Great Plains -Cheyenne & Sioux (Lakota) nomadic with use of horse

• The Frontier: lure of freedom “Mountain Men” ventured West after tales of Lewis & Clark

• Settlers on Western Frontier: difficult life in log cabins & “soddies”, disease & malnutrition, conflict w/Native Americans

• Women had more responsibilities, difficulties & shorter lifespan

• Poor farming techniques led to soil exhaustion & over-hunting brought buffalo & beaver to near extinction in certain areas.

The South1.Primarily agrarian.2.Economic power shifted from the “upper South” to the “lower South.”3.“Cotton Is King!” * 1860 5 mil. bales a yr. (57% of total US exports).4.Lack of industrialization - De Bow’s Review.5.Rudimentary (basic) financial system - “factors”.6.Inadequate transportation system.

Southern Society (1850)

“Slavocracy”[plantation owners]

The “Plain Folk”[white yeoman farmers]

Poor Whites - 500,000

6,000,000

Black Freemen

Black Slaves3.2 million (4 million by 1860)

(up from 1 mil. in 1800)

250,000

Total US Population 23,000,000[9,250,000 in the South = 40%]

“Cavalier Image”

Southern Population

Southern Agriculture

Changes in Cotton Production

1820

1860

US Laws Regarding Slavery1. U. S. Constitution:

* 3/5s compromise [I.2] * Article IV Section 2 - fugitive slave clause

2. 1793 Fugitive Slave Act - illegal to assist escaped slaves - fugitives for life - slave catching industry

3. 1850 stronger Fugitive Slave Act - stronger punishment and slaves couldn’t testify - rewards.

Emancipation in the North

But these dates are misleading - PA law freed newborns at 28 - some slaves in 1830s - NJ 1860s.

The Culture of Slavery1. Black Christianity [Baptists or Methodists]

* more emotional worship services. * negro spirituals.

2. “Pidgin” or Gullah languages.

3. Nuclear family with extended kin links,where possible.

4. Importance of music in their lives -esp. spirituals

RESISTANCE

5. “Sambo” - slaves playing up to stereotypes around owners

6. Defiance - Refusal to work hard.

7. Theft & isolated acts of sabotage.

8. Escape via the Underground Railroad.

9. Revolt – Nat Turner’s Rebellion 1831, VA

“Sold Down the River”• Upper South - years of tobacco had

exhausted soil in Virginia, Maryland, & NC• Expanding demand for slaves in Deep South

for cotton• “Breeding plantations”• 1790-1860 1 million slaves sold “down the

river” - also used as punishment• 250,000 slaves shipped in 1850s alone

Southern Pro-SlaveryPropaganda

What is the message?