AMSTUDPESH

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CHAPTER 11
The Peculiar Institution
I.

The Old South

A.

What are the factors that cause slavery to become the "peculiar institution" of

B.

What role does cotton play in the growth of the southern economy and slavery?

C.

What contributes to the rise of the internal slave trade?

D.

How does slavery impact almost every facet of national life?

the South?

1.

Politically-

2.

Economically-

3.

In the North-

4.

In the South-

A.
How does the remoteness from the market revolution and a necessary selfsufficiency affect the status of poor Southern whites?

B.
How does a relative alienation from modernizing society affect poor Southern
whites in terms of Social bonds, roles, and self-identification?

C.

In what ways are poor Southern whites invested in the slave system?

D.
What role does the planter elite play in Southern society and the American
economy? (think in terms of social hierarchy, the economy, global relations, politics, etc)

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E.

How does the proslavery argument develop and what:

1.
Is its rising currency in southern thought in this time period

and why?
2.

Are its elements in terms of political and social status of

3.

Are its racial assumptions?

4.

Are the reasons for a shift to a more hierarchical defense

slaves?

of slavery?

F.

How do the following events affect the movement towards abolition in the

Americas:

G.

1.

Slave uprisings and revolts in the Americas-

2.

The end of slavery in Latin America-

3.

Slave uprisings in the South-

How does the defense of slavery start to change the language of liberty in the

1830s?

I.

Life under slavery

A.
Give examples.

As the 19th century progressed, what was the changing legal status of slaves?

B.

How did the conditions of slave life change during the 19 th century? Give

C.

What was the role of free blacks in the Old South?

1.
Regional variations of free black life-

examples.

a.

The Upper South-

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b.

D.

E.

I.

What were the patterns of slave labor in terms of:

1.
The diversity of occupations-

2.

Agricultural labor-

3.

Urban labor-

How are the following used by the slaveholders to maintain order:

1.
Physical punishment2.

Manipulation of divisions among slaves-

3.

Material incentives-

4.

Threat of sale-

Slave culture
A.

What are the general features of slave culture?

B.

What is the nature of the slave family?

C.

What is the nature of slave religion in terms of:

1.
General practices-

D.

I.

Lower South-

2.

Influences-

3.

The gospel of freedom (what is this?)-

4.

Negation of masters' pro-slavery version of Christianity-

How is the desire for freedom and justice among slaves?

Resistance to slavery

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A.

B.
fugitive slaves?

What are some of the common forms of resistance to slavery?

What are all the factors affecting the ability to escape slavery and the plight of

C.
How do slave revolts aid the cause of abolition as well as add justification for
the brutality of slavery? (an essential question for any free people in terms of the cost of freedom)

D.
What is the nature of the major 19th century slave rebellions? What are common
traits? What are the patterns of rebellion? How does the white population react with each
rebellion? How are southern political actions influenced? Be specific and give examples.

E.
How does a society founded in rebellion (violent or otherwise) against an
oppressive system properly cope with the rights and ability of groups within that society who use
similar methods to deal with their own oppression?