Life in the South
By: Inna Hwang
South
- Minority were slave owners
(1860- 383,630/8,000,000 owned slaves)
- Owned small to large scale plantations (agricultural)
- Majority Democratic
- Men wanted military or agricultural careers. NO to trade.
- Planter aristocracy
- Relied on cotton gin
Wealthy
- Influenced politics, economics, and social life
- 800+ acres of land
- Minimum of 50 slaves
- Grew tobacco, rice, cotton, and sugar
- Code of Chivlary
Common
- Modest yeomen farmers
- Few owned slaves
- Would work near-side slaves
- Small families
- Limited education
Slaves
- Belonged to plantation owners
- House slaves worked indoors
- Many were mistreated and flogged
- Male owners would have intercourse with female slaves
- Many were born into slavery
- Not allowed to be legally married
- Not allowed to be educated, meet in groups, or participate in court
Women
- Duty as a mother and wife
- Spin, weave, supervise
- 25% over 20 illiterate
- Children could die before 5
- Sought social reform
- Inferior to men
Poor folks
- "Crackers" - poor white trash
- poverty and disease
- Some ate clay
- Even slaves look down on them
- Thought slaves were inferior