Slavery in America Flashcards

1
Q

What is slavery?

A

Slavery is the ownership of a person as propety.

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2
Q

How many slaves lived in the colonies?

A

by 1770, over 900,000

31% of population in Southern Colonies

by 1720, 61% of population in south carolina

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3
Q

When was the importation of slaves banned

A

1808

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4
Q

when were slaves freed in the north

A

by 1820

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5
Q

Why did slavery continue in the south

A

integral part of economy (plantations need labour force)

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6
Q

Why was cotton in demand in the late 18th century?

A

Strong cotton fibres could withstand being put through machines better than wool or linen

could be made into velvet which was cheaper and easier to produce than silk but looked and felt similar to it

Easier to make printed and dyed patterns on cotton cloth than on wool or silk

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7
Q

How did the export of cotton increase over time?

A

In 1790s, cotton was 6% of british exports

In mid 1800s, cotton was 42% of british exports

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8
Q

When and who made the cotton gin?

A

Eli whitney in 1794

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9
Q

What were the impacts of the cotton gin?

A

Made it faster; before seeds had to be pulled out by hand which was time consiming and laborous

Allowed one worker to produce as much cotton as 50 workers prior to its invention

method was more efficient, meant that cotton became more lucrative

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10
Q

where was a lot of cotton produced and why?

A

The climate and soil meant that the southern states were perfect for growing cotton

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11
Q

How much of the worlds cotton did USA make?

A

By 1820-1860, the united states was producing 80% of the worlds cotton fibre

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12
Q

How did cotton affect slavery?

A

Increasing cotton production led to the number of slaves in the US increasing by 250%

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13
Q

How many enslaved people lived in the US by 1860?

A

4 million ( about 15% of population )

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14
Q

Outline some examples of slave codes

A

education of slaves was prohibited

could not assemble without a white person present

slaves found guilty of arson, rape of a white woman or conspiracy to rebel was put to death

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15
Q

What were conditions like for slaves?

A

working from sundown to sun up 6 days/week

Lived in small shacks with dirt floors and little furniture

poor quality food

disciplined for not working fast enough or defying authority

unsanitary and lack of medical treatment

sexual exploitation of females

Hot and humid climate

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16
Q

what were child mortality rates likek for slave children?

A

66% on average and as high as 90% in some cases