How did slavery shape development and life in the southern states of the United States?

Answer 1

Slavery shaped Southern Colonial Society by keeping a goup of people at the BOTTOM of the class scale. Many rediculous methods were used, violence being the primary to keep slaves at the bottom without any hope of progressing.

Main Reasons

a) lack of education - if slaves got caught reading a book, they got whipped - it was a big no no.

b) use of fear, mental pain.

c) ownership - ambition to not get whipped or hurt, possibly have a family.

d) separate families - sell kids/women to other owners.

e) no means to escape - the plantations were very far apart, that way the slaves couldn't turn against their owners, or unite in any way.

f) Christianity - BIG PART - slaves were allowed to go to church, have pastors come on Sunday. (turn the other cheak, suffer a horrible life under a master -> go to heaven)

Also, because of slavery - there was no Middle Class. There is no use to hire a white male to be a craftsman, blacksmith, carpenter, bricklayer etc. when slaves did it for a small meal to stay alive.

Feudal Society - Non-Progressive.

-Alex Said

Answer 2

Slavery was the labor force that allowed to South to prosper form cash crops such as tobacco, sugar, and cotton. This force was desired because it was essentially free, allowing more profits for the wealthy plantation owners. Slavery shaped Southern life across all boundaries, becuase the South was dependent on this labor force, without it the South would suffer. Slavery allowed the aristocratic heirarchy to function, Rich at the top, less wealthy in the middle, and then the slaves. There was no need for an educated work force, hence there being no real public education. This led to a paternalistic society, in which the wealthy maintained control by asserting that they cared for the less fortunate.

Answer 3

Andrew Jackson is considered the first President of the "Common Man" and the first President who was from the West. While Jefferson considered himself as part of the “natural aristocrats, Jacksonian Democracy can be considered an outgrowth of Jefferson’s ideas that the people should rule. The Jacksonian Democratic movement was also the consequence of the growth and energy of the nation during the 1830s and 1840s. Prosperity meant more people could consider politics. Politicians and participation in politics grew. There was an increase in education available to citizens and the right to vote was being extended, especially in the west. Jackson believed in the ability of the “common man” to participate in government. He made use of the spoils system to reward his supporters. Jacksonian Democracy believed in equal opportunity extended to white males. The attitude towards women, children, Blacks, and Indians were typical of the time. Jacksonian Democracy also believed in the supremacy of the power of the national government over states’ rights advocates.

Answer 4

Slavery was a common in the southern economy dating back to the early 1600s. As white settlers began colonizing what is now the southern US. Slaves were used on the larger plantations due to its agreeable climate and fertile farmland. Settlers built plantations and began planting hundreds of acres of tobacco, cotton, and other mixed agricultural products that were in high demand worldwide. In order to continually grow profits, these rich plantation owners would employ the work of slaves to do all the manual labor with little cost to them other than the original purchase of the slaves. Of course the other cost was feeding and clothing the slaves. Slaves became a staple of the southern plantation lifestyle and were seen as a necessity by most plantation heads. Slavery, however, could not harvest cotton with the efficiency required and cotton growth began to wane. The invention of the cotton gin, however, increased productivity. There seemed to be no end to the demand for cotton and slavery increased to meet the demand for cotton.