Slavery In The South 1800s

During the 19th century slavery was a very prominent and controversial issue between the north and the southern states. In the South, most people believed that slavery was a profitable way of life and if the slavery was to be abolished it would then affect their economy. On the hand the northern had different opinions about slavery and intended to stop it. The fact that the perception were different between the two led to a very difficult situation in resolving the issue.

The Civil War, occurring between the years 1861 and 1865, was a devastating effect of sectionalism caused by the division of the country on the topic of slavery. Slavery impacted every aspect of the country, whether in the North or the South, though primarily in the South; major impacts were in the politics and economy of the early country ways which inevitably caused the Civil War.

Slavery existed heavily in the South by the 1700’s. What started out with indentured servants, quickly but slowly, became slavery in a more brutal and disheartening way. European colonists turned to slavery because for every one indentured servant there were 17 slaves. (Chapter 2, page 46) This made it easier for European colonists to be able to replace slaves rather than waiting for indentured servants. Also, during Bacon’s Rebellion, Europeans quickly learned that servants were dangerous, because they had a right to fight back. Servants expected to be free within seven years in exchange for working the Europeans land. This also created the image that slaves would be easier to control simply because they had nothing to look forward to, once a slave always a slave. Once the Virginia slave law came out, it initially separated blacks and whites by skin color thus beginning the road to the new definition of “race.” In the south, slavery was in higher demand due to the increase of land to grow crops, indigo and tobacco. The more land you had, the more slaves you needed to pick and grow these crops which increased your money value.

In the antebellum south, the Large Plantation – agricultural way of life dominated the whole society. Only 25% of white southerners owned slaves and most did not live in mansions but in dark, cramped, two-room cabins. Cotton was the crucial cash crop of the South, but it was not the only crop grown there. Corn, sugar, rice, and tobacco were also grown – but Cotton was king, and the most labor intensive of all these crops. Not only was the South reliant on cotton, but the northern factories relied on the raw material as well as England. The South was the world’s largest producer and from 1815 to 1860 it represented over ½ the U.S. exports.

Throughout the history of our United States, many factors have contributed to the ultimate growth and development of the magnitude of our present-day economy. None, however, could be the compared to the size of the impact attributed to the institution of slavery in the Antebellum South during the 1800’s. And although slavery is considered today to be “the most inhumane institution,” there is no denying the fact that its existence substantially benefitted the prosperity of the American economy during the time of its practice. The account of one man during this time, a slave, shows us another glimpse into the period which was so heavily influenced by slavery and another point of view from which we can interpret and hope to use in order to understand

In a time where research was not a primary source of knowledge, most physicians and slave owners were forced to create their own their own practices based on observations. Throughout the Antebellum South, many slaveowners learned of the immunities and adaptations to the environment that their slaves possessed. However, due to the poor living conditions in the slave homes, many families were susceptible to parasites and other diseases. Often, these diseases were treated by other slaves in their family, but in other cases their owners called a white doctor to care for them (Black Health on the Plantation: Owners, the Enslaved, and Physicians). Before a doctor was called, the slaves would often use herbal remedies or religious prayers

Throughout the 1800’s, slavery was a very widespread and common thing in all of the United States. In Tennessee, though, there was a large amount involvement in slavery. Almost all the African Americans living in Tennessee were slaves, and about ¼ of all people living in Tennessee were slaves. Throughout the entire state of Tennessee there were more than 275,000 slaves, and they made up ¼ (25%) of the population. 25% of white families owned slaves, and while these families made a large portion of the population, most families owned a small number of slaves. There was one person in Tennessee who owned more than 300 slaves, 47 people owned more than 100 slaves, and more than ¾ of all slave masters held less than 10 slaves.

Life under slavery was harsh, and during the mid-1800s, it was the main way of living in the South. Unlike the North, the South had very few industries, but made up for this with plantations. They then gained wealth by using slavery as they pleased, but under slavery, African- Americans were treated brutally. Under this kind of treatment, slaves made many ways to endure this pain and even sometimes then rebel.

Slavery in the 1800’s on plantations was a very big deal. Slavery was common in South Carolina due to the plantation based economy. Women and men were constantly being auctioned to other slave owners to work in fields (“U.S History from 1812-1914”). Slaves were usually separated from their families due to slave auctions. Whenever they arrived to the fields they were treated inhumanly. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation stated that, “Slaves were often punished for taking breaks while working. Women slaves were also used for cooking, housework and childcare.” Not only were slaves separated from their family, they were also treated very poorly. Because of the mistreatment , it would soon lead to the Civil War.

In the early years of the 19th century, slavery was more than ever turning into a sectional concern, such that the nation had essentially become divided along regional lines. Based on economic or moral reasoning, people of the Northern states were increasingly in support of opposition to slavery, all the while Southerners became united to defend the institution of slavery. Brought on by profound changes including regional differences in the pattern of slavery in the upper and lower South, as well as the movement of abolitionism in the North, slavery in America had transformed from an issue of politics into a moral campaign during the period of 1815-1860, ultimately polarizing the North and the South to the point in which threats of a Southern disunion would mark the beginning of the Civil War in 1861 (Goldfield et. al, The American Journey, p. 281).

Slavery has always been one of the most appalling experiences within our race. Slavery by itself seems very rebellious and provokes people to have mixed feelings about the subject. Majority of African Americans, blacks that are in America are descendants of former slaves. There are also some many people who have faced slavery in today’s society. As history tells us, slavery has done a lot of harm to millions of people, taking away lives and even destroying the faith of the many people who believe in something different. What does a contemporary person know about slavery? The answer will not be very difficult. Nevertheless, there is still much to say about it and a lot of things to remember.

How many of us actually know what slavery means? We all know it happened during the 1800's, but no one really knows the definition of the word. For all we know, it could still be happening. Slavery is the owning of a person who is practically property. People who own slaves control them so they earn profit from their work. Back then, slaves were primarily African-American and were shoved on a boat into the New World. Nowadays, the word "slave" can be used for people who are overworked and underpaid. Even though slavery legally ended in 1883, people are still being affected by the same tactics fueled by vulnerability and lack of stability.

Slavery was an event that happened in America, and it boomed in the 1800’s. It was and still is a terrible thing. That’s right, it still is. Slavery still happens in other countries, like Sudan and Niger. It is often noticed and seen most in Africa, but it also still happens in India, the Middle East, and in other places as well. It is technically illegal in every country of the world, but some of the ones listed and others do a bad job of enforcing those laws. I will explain this and other slavery issues in this essay, and let’s get started.

In the Western countries including America, most of the nations incorporated provisions for slavery within their structure of governance. As slavery took roots in the North and South between 1700 and 1799, it influenced political, social and economic structures of the two regions throughout the 18th century.

Many people view slavery as one consecutive time period where African Americans were captured and kept to serve the needs of Caucasian individuals and families. But not very many people know the true extent of slavery among the colonies. Less are aware of the nature in which slavery evolved from a trading industry in the 17th century into its greater known state of forced labor in the 19th century.