CWR - Issues Events: Slavery (Lesson)
Issues and Events Leading up to the Civil War: Slavery
Introduction
Slavery was a key factor for the Civil War. The economic industry of agriculture in the south relied on slave labor to meet the demand for products such as cotton. The north saw growth in abolition movements and this continued to cause a divide over the key human rights issue of slavery.
Slavery
Slavery and agriculture in the South were economically bound together during the 1800s. Slavery increased as a result of the invention of the cotton gin and the resulting expansion of cotton cultivation in the South. The economy of the South largely depended on slave labor and slavery became a divisive political issue between the North and South. Northern abolitionists fought to end slavery and spoke out against the evils of the institution. Beyond the human rights issue of slavery, Northern business owners also found slavery hurt them financially. The Northern businesses could not compete with the unpaid labor of Southern slaves despite the ready availability of cheap immigrant labor in the North.
Even though slavery caused a large divide, the majority of Southerners did not own slaves. The 1860 census states that 75% of Georgians did not own slaves, 5% owned 1 slave, 13% owned 2-9 slaves, 4% owned 10-19 slaves, and 3% owned 20 or more slaves.
Underground Railroad
A system of secret networks of escape routes and hiding places used by runaway slaves as they tried to seek safety in the north. “Conductors” such as Harriet Tubman, were Americans sympathetic to the cause who used land and sea routes stretching out of the South into the North and Canada. It is seen as a social movement and was an important portion of the abolitionist movement. Frederick Douglass and many other former slaves gave first hand testimony of life in slavery, which gave the Northern Abolition Movement more energy to fight for the end of slavery.
Political Differences: Dred Scott
The Supreme Court Decision of in Dred Scott v Sandford in 1857 fueled the fire even more. Dred Scott, a Missouri slave, sued for his freedom because his master had traveled and lived with him in a free state of Illinois and Wisconsin. The Supreme Court said that slaves were property and did not have rights as a citizen. Chief Justice Roger Taney also ruled that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional because it limited people’s rights to own property (slaves).
Important People
Harriet Tubman
In the 1830s, abolitionists organized anti-slavery groups, established anti-slavery newspapers and raised money to wipe out slavery. They also set up an Underground Railroad to smuggle runaway slaves out of the southern states. It was not really a railroad, but a network of people and places to shelter blacks as they escaped. Harriet Tubman was one of the most famous “conductors” of the Underground Railroad. Making an estimated 19 trips to the south, she helped more than 300 slaves escape to freedom.
Frederick Douglass
The best-known abolitionist was Frederick Douglass, who published a newspaper called the North Star. Douglass was also a spirited orator (speaker) and traveled around the country describing the evils of slavery.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
In 1852, abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, about slave life in the South. The cruelties and suffering portrayed in the book helped swing many northerners to the abolitionist side.
Review
Review the chart, then see if you can answer the questions that follow.
Cotton Production and Slavery in the South:
| Decade | Thousands of Bales of Cotton | Thousands of Slaves |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 6 | 750 |
| 1810 | 250 | 1250 |
| 1820 | 490 | 1500 |
| 1830 | 750 | 2000 |
| 1840 | 1400 | 2500 |
| 1850 | 2300 | 3250 |
| 1860 | 4000 | 4000 |
- How many more bales of cotton were produced in 1850 than in 1820?
- In what decade did the number of slaves increase the most?
- Predict how the end of slavery would affect the southern economy.
Slavery is a common human rights violation throughout history. Slavery typically consisted of war stricken areas where those defeated would be enslaved. The slavery system of the new world was based on a race system. Even once the slave trade was banned, slavery continued to prosper in the south. Abolitionists worked hard to fight for the end of slavery. Key figures such as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass helped give first hand testimonies of the cruelty faced in the institution of slavery. Slavery caused a significant divide in political and ideological beliefs between the Northern and Southern portions of the United States.
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