The Deep South

By: Andrew Garrison, Jessikah Collins, Alaina Brack,

Nathan Foss, and Angelica Roseboro
Social Structure
During the 1800s the Southernmost states displayed a concrete, and finite class
system. The system consisted of particular roles that were designated to
individuals, these include:

The Man of the house: Men were designated as the strong, hard worker
,who supplied the income for the family. Men were supposed to act
gentlemanly, and as the defender of the house and family.

The Lady of the house: Women were designated as the housewife, with
their place being at home, women were to act ladylike, and fair. Women were
to supervise the household staff and the children.
Class Structure
Upper class: Very few individuals lived in this class, those who did gained
their wealth from cotton plantations, owning many slaves.

Middle class: Majority of the individuals who lived in the deep South lived in
the middle class, working as farmers with majority owning 1-5 slaves, who the
farmers worked alongside with. These farmers treated the slaves with
respect, many paid their slaves for their service.

Lower class: Most of the people who lived in the lower South lived in this
class, majority of the people who lived in this class owned slaves, and treated
them harshly. People who lived in this class lived in poverty, living like slaves.
Beliefs & Culture
The Deep South included these states: Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas,
Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida.

In the south there was a white class structure that dealt with slaveholders and
nonslaveholders.

The deep south had a distinctly American culture that is commonly state of mind
than an actual place.

Areas in the Deep South were known for cash crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo.

There were different religious groups

- Protestants, Puritans, Quakers, etc.

Economy
COTTON IS KING said a South Carolina Politician named James
Henry Hammond .
The economy of the deep south was dependent upon the cotton
industry, farmers, and slave labor.
The invention of the cotton gin created the cotton boom.
The deep Souths cotton industry was in high demand
internationally. Manufactured goods came from the North and
food came from the West. Europe traded luxury goods to the
south in exchange for cotton.
Many poor farmers had debts, which caused the southern
government to lower spending and decrease taxes.
Slavery was common on wealthy landowners properties. The
Mississippi River Valley was populated with the most millionaires
in the U.S. in the 1860s.
Comparison to Other Areas
Economy
While the economy of the lower South was predominantly agricultural, the success of its signature
crop was driven by the textile industry in the North. The economy of the North was factory based and
was dependent on immigrant labor similarly to how the South was dependent on slave labor. The
Upper South was mostly agricultural but was starting to industrialize.
Culture
The culture in the Upper South consisted mainly of aristocrats and farmers, who gained their wealth
and land from generations of family. While in the Lower South, the culture consisted of farmers who
worked alongside with slaves and could eventually become the wealthy slaveowners, who had
control over the flow of cash crops and slave ownership.
Social Structure
The class structure within the Upper and Lower South was very similar, with majority of their
population being in the middle and lower classes as farmers, but the wealthy upper class varied
between the sections of the South. Many upper class individuals in the Lower South were farmers
who gained wealth and power due to cash crops such as cotton, while in the Upper South many
gained wealth that was passed down from previous generations of aristocrats.
On Core Issues
Slave States vs Free States
Southern Democrats argued for Federal protection of slavery
Northern Democrats argued for popular sovereignty
States Rights
Felt oppressed by the northern majority.
Election of 1860
Lincoln won without a single southern vote
Lower South feels excluded
Tariffs and Nullification
Nullification crisis of 1832 left south wary of Northern Majority
Tariffs of 1832 raised cost of living in Southern states
Taxed foreign manufactured goods 35% (40% originally)
Verdict
Secession from the Union - Due to the issue of landowners trying to move out
West and not being able to have slave labor in the Western territories was a big
issue. Also, many Southern farmers and planters liked their culture. Slavery to
many white Southerners was just a part of that culture. European trade was very
important to Southerners because of its cultural influence on the South. If slavery
were to be abolished and taxes were on the rise, then this would take away the
European goods and culture that had been given to them. This motivated
Southerners to come together and secede from the Union.
Sources
http://www.deep-south-usa.com/culture

http://religion.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.001.0001/acrefore-9780199340378-e-7

http://www.ushistory.org/us/5e.asp

http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/secession

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Deep_South

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ushistory1os2xmaster/chapter/wealth-and-culture-in-the-southjm

http://www.historycentral.com/CivilWar/AMERICA/Economics.html

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-history/period-5/apush-sectional-tension-1850s/a/the-slave-economy

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=2&psid=3558

http://www.historystudycenter.com/search/displayHistoricalDocItem.do?QueryName=historicalDoc&ResultsID=15F2AF3C4
FA&SortType=relevance&fromPage=search&ItemNumber=13&QueryName=historicalDoc