Slavery/Cotton King/Cotton Gin Flashcards
How much of the south’s population was a slave around 1860?
About 1/3
How much of the south’s population was a slave around 1860?
About 1/3
How much of the south’s population was white around 1860?
About 2/3
How much of the south’s population was a free blacks around 1860?
2%
Why were so few free black people in the south?
No work because slaves did it for free
Freed slaves didn’t want to be reminded of slavery
It was hard to become free
Most free black people lived in the north where they were treated better
How many people owned slaves in the south?
Only about 25%
What was the most common amount of slaves to own?
1-9 (not a ton)
Why did slavery continue in the south when the majority of people didn’t even have slaves?
People with slaves were the most powerful politically
Poor people supported slavery because they liked feeling like they were better than at least someone
Why did only the rich have slaves?
Slaves cost money to own and provide for
Slaves are most beneficial when you have work for them to do and not everyone owned plantains
What are the economic advantages of having slaves instead of payed workers?
Slavery is a system used to control labor.
Slave owners make about $1000 per year on slaves because it is cheap to provide for them and they work hard to avoid punishments
Slaves don’t have to be paid and they follow orders because they are afraid to be punished
What does “cotton is king” mean?
no one will attack the US to get rid of slavery because they rely on the cotton that slavery helps to produce in the US
cotton had become America’s leading export by the mid-19th century
Northern US, Canada, England’s economies all depended on cotton
Why did cotton production increase?
The cotton gin was invented so more cotton could be produced easily
There was more demand for cotton from around the world so more needed to be produced
More work was needed to produce the cotton, so more slaves were brought in
What are the results of the cotton gin?
50x more cotton processed with its help
In north, there was a steady supply of raw materials for textile mills
Planters get greater profit -> desire for larger crops -> required more people to plant the crops -> more slaves needed
What happens to slavery between 1790 and 1860?
It disappears completely in the north, and increases and spreads across the south
How did the cotton gin affect the growth of cotton production and slavery?
With the invention of the cotton gin, 50x more cotton was produced, meaning the demand for cotton increased and even more slaves were needed to plant and pick all of the cotton
