Changes

Southern life was set by a landed gentry, the small minority of well-to-do planters.  They practiced a cultivated chivalry, a code of honor among equals, and a gallantry towards women.  However, this attitude was undermined by their reliance on [[slavery]] as the underpinning of their economic dominance.

Southern life was set by a landed gentry, the small minority of well-to-do planters.  They practiced a cultivated chivalry, a code of honor among equals, and a gallantry towards women.  However, this attitude was undermined by their reliance on [[slavery]] as the underpinning of their economic dominance.

The money made from cotton was spent on goods manufactured in the North, as well as imports from [[Europe]].  They had a taste for well-bred horses, quality firearms, foxhounds, and the belles from fine Southern families.  And they also studied assiduously the arts of war, often spending large sums of money to send themselves or their sons to military schools.  One [[Mississippi]] planter, Jefferson Davis, remarked that only in the South "did a gentlemen go to a military academy who did not intend to follow the profession of arms." (TL 1, pg 12)

The money made from cotton was not always reinvested in the South's economy; much of it was spent on goods manufactured in the North, as well as imports from [[Europe]].  They had a taste for well-bred horses, quality firearms, and foxhounds.  They also studied assiduously the arts of war, often spending large sums of money to send themselves or their sons to military schools.  One [[Mississippi]] planter, Jefferson Davis, remarked that only in the South "did a gentlemen go to a military academy who did not intend to follow the profession of arms." (TL 1, pg 12)

But the South had several serious drawbacks.  Its population at 1860 was roughly 9 million people, of whom more than 3 million were slaves, versus more than 21 million in the North.  There were only 18,000 manufacturing plants of any kind in the South, as opposed to the North's more than 100,000.  Of these, only two were capable of producing [[rolled iron]], one which produced [[gunpowder]], and none capable of producing [[firearms]]; there were twenty-seven gun manufacturers in [[Massachusetts]] alone.  More than 70% of all [[railroad]] mileage was north of the Ohio River; the South had the remainder.

But the South had several serious drawbacks.  Its population at 1860 was roughly 9 million people, of whom more than 3 million were slaves.  There were only 18,000 manufacturing plants of any kind in the South, as opposed to the North's more than 100,000.  Of these, only two were capable of producing [[rolled iron]], one which produced [[gunpowder]], and none capable of producing [[firearms]]; there were twenty-seven gun manufacturers in [[Massachusetts]] alone.  More than 70% of all [[railroad]] mileage was north of the Ohio River; the South had the remainder.

===[[Slavery]]===

===[[Slavery]]===

Before the Civil War, the individual states, particularly in the South, shared a belief that each state was sovereign.  Sovereignty included jurisdiction over, and the handling of, each state's affairs, which invariably included their own public and private institutions.

Before the Civil War, the individual states, particularly in the South, shared a belief that each state was sovereign.  Sovereignty included jurisdiction over, and the handling of, each state's affairs, which invariably included their own public and private institutions.

Yet the "peculiar institution" cited more often than anything else in defending states' rights was the Southern institution of slavery.  Africans had been present as slaves in the American colonies since the early 17th century; over the years the South began to see it less as an evil and more of a necessity; so ingrained into the fabric had slavery become that Vice President John C. Calhoun was to say in 1838:  

The peculiar institution cited more often than anything else in defending states' rights was slavery.  Africans had been present as slaves in the American colonies since the early 17th century; over the years the South began to rationalize it less as an evil and more of an economic necessity; so ingrained into the fabric had slavery become that Vice President John C. Calhoun was to say in 1838:  

:''"many in the South once believed that slavery was a moral and political evil.  That folly and delusion are gone.  We see it now in its true light, and regard it as the most safe and stable basis for free institutions in the world."'' (TL 1, pg 40)

:''"many in the South once believed that slavery was a moral and political evil.  That folly and delusion are gone.  We see it now in its true light, and regard it as the most safe and stable basis for free institutions in the world."'' (TL 1, pg 40)

The slaves for the most part were treated brutally.  Born in bondage, a slave usually began his first work in the fields at the age of twelve.  They would work in the fields from the light of day until, in the words of a Louisiana slave, "until it is too dark to see, and when the moon is full, they often labor until the middle of the night" (TL, pg 48).  They were fed and clothed poorly, usually in rags; shoes were uncommon.  Disease was rampant; four out of 100 lived past age 60.  And they were required to absolute respect to a white.  Punishment for infractions was severe, involving stocks, pronged neck collars, and whippings where salt water was used to clear infection, with the result of pain so excruciating a slave recollecting it wrote "the flesh crawls upon my bones" (TL 1, pp 49-58)

Slaves for the most part were treated brutally.  Born in bondage, a slave usually began his first work in the fields at the age of twelve.  They would work in the fields from the light of day until, in the words of a Louisiana slave, "until it is too dark to see, and when the moon is full, they often labor until the middle of the night" (TL, pg 48).  They were fed and clothed poorly, usually in rags; shoes were uncommon.  Disease was rampant; only four out of 100 lived past age 60.  Absolute subservience to whites was enforced.  Punishment for infractions was severe, involving stocks, pronged neck collars, and whippings where salt water was used to clear infection, with the resulting pain so excruciating a slave recollecting it wrote "the flesh crawls upon my bones" (TL 1, pp 49-58)

[[Eli Whitney]] patented his cotton gin in 1793.  Prior to that, slaves were harvesting cotton, pulling the seed from the boll, and packing by hand for market at a rate of 100 bales a week.  The gin did the hard work of separating the boll, enabling bales of cotton at a rate of over 1000 a week, often more.  The result was the number of annual cotton harvests increased to three, which saw a concurrent rise in profits made by plantation owners; the number of slaves needed for the fields and other tasks increased as well, climbing from 300,000 in 1790 to over three million by 1860.

[[Eli Whitney]] patented the cotton gin in 1793.  Prior to that, slaves were harvesting cotton, pulling the seed from the boll, and packing it by hand for market at a rate of 100 bales a week.  The gin did the hard work of separating the boll, enabling bales of cotton at a rate of over 1000 a week, often more.  The result was the number of annual cotton harvests increased to three, which saw a concurrent rise in profits made by plantation owners; the number of slaves needed for the fields and other tasks increased as well, climbing from 300,000 in 1790 to over three million by 1860.

===Political machinations and compromises===

===Political machinations and compromises===

The '''[[Missouri Compromise (1820)]]''' allowed for the entry of [[Maine]] into the Union as a free state, and [[Missouri]] as a slave state.  It was further agreed that slavery was to be excluded from territory north of the 36°30′ parallel, or the remaining western territories. Before admission could be granted to Missouri a clause in the state's constitution provoked controversy: the exclusion of "free Negroes and mulattoes".  Under Whig Henry Clay's influence in the U.S. senate, an act of admission was passed, upon condition that the controversial [[exclusionary clause]] should "never be construed to authorize the passage of any law" impairing the privileges and immunities of free citizens. The compromise seemed deliberately ambiguous in that it could be interpreted to indicate that free blacks and mulattoes did not qualify as United States citizens, which would be put to direct test years later with a slave named Dred Scott. [http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Missouri.html]

The '''[[Missouri Compromise (1820)]]''' allowed for the entry of [[Maine]] into the Union as a free state, and [[Missouri]] as a slave state.  It was further agreed that slavery was to be excluded from territory north of the 36°30′ parallel, or the remaining western territories. Before admission could be granted to Missouri a clause in the state's constitution provoked controversy: the exclusion of "free Negroes and mulattoes".  Under [[Whig]] Henry Clay's influence in the U.S. Senate, an act of admission was passed, upon condition that the controversial [[exclusionary clause]] should "never be construed to authorize the passage of any law" impairing the privileges and immunities of free citizens. The compromise seemed deliberately ambiguous in that it could be interpreted to indicate that free blacks and mulattoes did not qualify as United States citizens, which would be put to direct test years later with a slave named [[Dred Scott]]. [http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Missouri.html]

Another crisis arose from the request of the [[California]] Territory to be admitted to the Union as a [[free state]]; this was complicated by territory acquired in the southwest as a result of the [[Mexican War]] of 1848 and whether to extend slavery there.  An omnibus bill drafted by [[Henry Clay]] called the '''[[Compromise of 1850]]''' tried to give satisfaction to the southern states in addition to California's admission: the settlement of the Texas-New Mexico border dispute; the slavery question open for voting via popular sovereignty in the Utah and New Mexico territories as they were organized; the end of slave trading in the District of Columbia; and tough requirements concerning [[runaway slave]]s. [http://blueandgraytrail.com/event/Compromise_of_1850]

Another crisis arose from the request of the [[California]] Territory to be admitted to the Union as a [[free state]]; this was complicated by territory acquired in the southwest as a result of the [[Mexican War]] of 1848 and whether to extend slavery there.  An omnibus bill drafted by [[Henry Clay]] called the '''[[Compromise of 1850]]''' tried to give satisfaction to the southern states in addition to California's admission: the settlement of the Texas-New Mexico border dispute; the slavery question open for voting via popular sovereignty in the Utah and New Mexico territories as they were organized; the end of slave trading in the District of Columbia; and tough requirements concerning [[runaway slave]]s. [http://blueandgraytrail.com/event/Compromise_of_1850]

All five measures were enacted in September, 1850 as a result of the efforts and support of Democratic senator [[Stephen A. Douglas]] and Whig senator [[Daniel Webster]], and were accepted by moderates throughout the country as well as postponing Southern [[secession]] for another decade.  But the seeds of discord were planted; the precedent of [[popular sovereignty]], championed by Douglas as the way for the public to vote whether or not they wanted slavery in their territories, led to the Kansas territory agitating for a similar provision.  And the [[Fugitive Slave Act]] that was a part of the Compromise was so bitterly condemned that many moderates who had ignored slavery in the past became determined opponents to any extension of the institution into the territories.  Many would risk jail rather than turn over runaway slaves to their owners as required by the new laws.   

All five measures were enacted in September, 1850 as a result of the efforts and support of Democratic senator [[Stephen A. Douglas]] and Whig senator [[Daniel Webster]], and were accepted by moderates throughout the country.  These measures may have had the effect of postponing Southern [[secession]] for another decade, but the seeds of discord were planted; the precedent of [[popular sovereignty]], championed by Douglas as the way for the public to vote whether or not they wanted slavery in their territories, led to the Kansas territory agitating for a similar provision.  And the [[Fugitive Slave Act]] that was a part of the Compromise was so bitterly condemned that many moderates who had ignored slavery in the past became determined opponents to any extension of the institution into the territories.  Many would risk jail rather than turn over runaway slaves to their owners as required by the new laws.   

The '''[[Kansas–Nebraska Act]]''' (May 30, 1854), sponsored by Douglas, provided for the territorial organization of Kansas and Nebraska, using his principle the idea of popular sovereignty.  Douglas had written the act in an effort to slow or halt the sectarianism over slavery's extension, but the Kansas-Nebraska Act merely increased the flames, and was attacked by [[free-soil]]ers and [[abolitionist]]s as a capitulation to those who supported slavery. The [[Whig Party]], ineffective in preventing it, largely disintegrated, and the Republican Party was born and soon became a viable political organization opposed to territorial expansion of slavery.  

The '''[[Kansas–Nebraska Act]]''' (May 30, 1854), sponsored by Douglas, provided for the territorial organization of Kansas and Nebraska, using his principle the idea of popular sovereignty.  Douglas had written the act in an effort to slow or halt the sectarianism over slavery's extension, but the Kansas-Nebraska Act merely increased the flames, and was attacked by [[free-soil]]ers and [[abolitionist]]s as a capitulation to those who supported slavery. The [[Whig Party]], ineffective in preventing it, largely disintegrated, and the Republican Party was born and soon became a viable political organization opposed to territorial expansion of slavery.