Discuss the role slavery played in causing the American Civil War. Remember to include a discussion of the major events during the 1850s which led to war.

Question 1

Just for an example on how structure was

Answer 1

Planters:
• “Slaveocracy”: society run by big slave owners
• Land and Slaves: a lot
• Debt to live this lifestyle
• Fear of running out of money and
cotton but also had a fear that the slaves would fight back
• Slaves:
• Diverse: different types of slaves o Field slaves and domestic servants
• Slave quarters: bad living (brutal)
• No rules for slave owners

Question 2

Economics

Answer 2

Slavery explodes during the 19th Century
• 1790: 700000 slaves
• 1830: 2 million
• 1860: 4 million
• Most of these slaves were already born into the work

Question 3

Eli Whitney

Answer 3

Cotton Gin (1794)
• By 1860 slavery is growing because of the production.
• It has spread all across the south.
• The Planters (slave owners) were going to do everything in the world to protect slavery be they depended on it.

Question 4

Resistance

Answer 4

Gabriels Plot: 1800
• Virginia
• Nat Turner (slave preacher) 1831
• Stopped preaching about the Word; he said God told him to have a rebellion.
• They did this so many times until the army went and killed every slave except Nat; he was captured and later executed.

Question 5

Southern reaction

Answer 5

Now there are rules (Slave Codes)
No guns!
No freely traveling
• No teaching how to read o Abolitionists: No slavery
• William Lloyd Garrison
• Most abolitionists were Evangelical
Christians (preaching the word, trying to convert others)
• He also started a new paper called The Liberator
• Freed Blacks
• Fredrick Douglas:
• Escaped from Maryland and taught himself how to read and write; he became a public speaker and also wrote an autobiography of himself
• Harriet Tubman
• Underground Railroad
• John C. Calhoun (1890)
• Slavery as “Positive Good”
Nothing evil about it
Southern planters started believing
• Paternal (taking care of them)
• Jefferson = Necessary Evil (1790)
• Meaning he knew it was bad, but it was necessary

Question 6

1850

Answer 6

Debate of 1850
- Free state vs. Slave state
• Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster
• New politicians Emerge: Stephen Douglas, William Seward, and Jefferson Davis Not interested in compromising
• Compromise of 1850: Key points
• California- Free state
• New Mexico and Utah-
• Popular sovereignty: the people choose
• Fugitive Slave Law
• Slave trade (but not Slavery) was abolished in D.C.

Question 7

1852

Answer 7

Uncle Toms Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe. Response to Fugitive Slave Law
• Targeted White Audiences