Introduction
Although
plantations emerge early in the history of the southern colonies, by the 1830’s
the dynamics of plantation life and culture change dramatically. Three evolutions appear to be most
significant in regard to the great developments within plantation culture
including transfers in the roles of labor, changes in product, and an evolution
in master-slave relations. Ultimately
these developments create a distinct culture in the South defined by
plantations, cotton, and slavery. This
distinction becomes a vital piece of southern culture, wrapped up in matters of
politics and religion. By 1830, the
South has evolved to a particular culture and society, distinct and at odds
with the Northern states, and tensions and conflicts naturally emerge. The divide that will ultimately lead to the
Civil War begins with the radical transformation of southern plantations.
Labor
With
population increasing in England from 3 million in 1550 to 5 million by 1700, a
great migration occurred across the Atlantic.
Looking for a better life, Englishmen began offering themselves as
indentured servants in the American colonies.
Essentially these men enter into a contract, offering their labor in
exchange for land and shillings upon the completion of their duties. Consequently, the farming enterprise grows to
the point that farmable land is no longer available.
A
group of “wild bachelors” emerges, consisting of men who have served their term
but do not receive their reward. Conflict
arises, reaching climax in 1676 with Bacon’s Rebellion. So it is that tensions develop between
classes, with farmer and landowners going to battle with this group of wild
bachelors.
A
problem had arisen, but there is still a great need for labor. To remedy this problem, Africans begin to
take the role that indentured servants once held. Prejudices and a need for labor combine,
enslaving Africans and creating “glue” between classes of whites. This glue takes affect in 1660, with the
legalization of slavery in the American colonies. By 1830 slavery has become the primary source
of southern labor, and plantations have become dependent on slave for
production.
Product
In
the early days of plantation culture, products like tobacco and rice were
farmed and exported. However, with the
creation of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin in 1793, the primary cash crop of the
South changes. To grow cotton, all one
needs is 200 frost-free days, rain, and the land to plant. Coupled with manual labor now available
through slavery, the South has all it needs to produce cotton on a massive
scale.
Of
course this option is not available in the North, and the regions continue to
diverge. In the South however, business
is good and “cotton is king.” By 1830
somewhere between 80-85% of England’s cotton imports are coming from the South,
leading many southerners, including James Henry Hammond, to conclude that
England’s economy is dependent on cotton as well. As is always the case, the economy becomes a
major focus of politically and even theologically. Therefore it may be said that cotton, to
great degree, dictates the political mentalities, religious beliefs, and
general outlook of most southerners.
Master-Slave Relations
By
1830, cotton has emerged as king and slavery has emerged as the lifeline of
King Cotton’s existence. Without slavery
there is far less cotton, if the institution exists at all. Furthermore, with the end of the slave trade
in 1808, southerners recognize that their resource for labor is somewhat
limited. What and who the South had was
all they could work with.
It
is therefore not surprising that master-slave relations begin to change in the
South. Over time, a degree of
familiarity would have influenced the South’s mentality concerning slaves, and
revivals like the Second Great Awakening leveled the playing field to a
degree. There is the belief that
African-Americans possess an immortal soul, and are therefore deserving of some
degree of benevolence, though this benevolence is certainly minimal by modern
standards.
Most
importantly however, these events and developments result in paternalism. Now the master looks upon the slave not only
as property, but also as one that the master is responsible for. The master wishes to be respected, but also
loved as a sort of “father”. This
development however, creates leverage for the slave. He or she is no longer as dispensable as in
previous times, he or she has been granted the status of a “soul possessor”
(even Christian in many cases!), and holds the love and respect that the master
desires to receive. On the one hand, a
dynamic has emerged that ultimately leads the South to defend their institution
as a “positive good”, not like the slavery of Rome and Greece, or even the free
labor of the North. At the same time,
the powerless have gained some power, and masters are now dependent upon slaves
that had been previously regarded as mere chattel.
Conclusion
Through changes in
labor, product, and master-slave relations, the plantations of the South change
drastically from the 17th century to 1830. A new culture has emerged that is distinct to
the South, and is one that is tied up in plantations, cotton, and slavery. Politics, religion, and life itself become
linked to this plantation culture, and southerners have developed a life and
culture of their own. This development
is so great, that ultimately southerners will go to civil war in order to
defend it.
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