The South – low immigration, huge income disparity, replicated Medieval Europe
A. Cotton Kingdom – 1788 – South dying, overworked land, unmarketable products
a. Slavery increased – Eli Whitney – Cotton Gin
i. Increased labor also improved Northern shipping industry
b. ½ cotton in world from the South, England 75% from South
i. England economy depended on Southern cotton
B. Planter Aristocracy – “cottonocracy” – oligarchy – few control many
a. Biggest planters controlled social, political, economic life
b. Received finest education – statesmen who served public
i. Public education suffers
c. Women bought into system – controlled households
C. Poor whites – accepted system, dream of moving up, needed racial superiority
D. Scotch Irish – Appalachian Mountains – “white trash” – civilization ignored
E. Nature of Slavery
a. One 20th century view – slavery ending, owners paternalistic, blacks naturally inferior – need to be taken care of
i. Not true – economically still expanding, not dying
ii. 1954 Slavery compares to concentration camps
iii. Paternalistic – selfish method just to get more labor
iv. Slaves fake “Sambo” laziness as method of coping/rebel
b. Black women must balance as white caregiver, laborer, family anchor
The North – industry, manufacturing, heavy immigration – urbanized
A. Immigration – 95% came to the North
a. Irish – NY/Boston – low skilled labor – left due to potato famine
b. German – left due to crop failures, democracy failure of 1848 revolution
i. Midwest – contributed - gave US literature, kindergarten, Xmas tree
The West – young attracted, adventurous opportunities – life actually sucks
A. Gradually destroyed land – overworked, just moved on – pushed out Indians, animals
B. Frontier – belief that you can always start out fresh out West
C. More equality for women, supply and demand, they can leave if not treated properly
D. Squatters – simply move to land, build house, claim property – hard to kick off
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