Deck 11: The South, slavery, and King Cotton, 1800-1860

Question 1

Visitors to the South often had a hard time telling poor whites apart from small farmers.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The operation of the domestic slave trade often meant separating families from each other.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The percentage of the native-born population in the South was high in comparison to other parts of the country.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The development of southern industry:

A)lagged behind the North.
B)was more significant than agriculture to the southern economy.
C)was the only sector of the southern economy that did not rely on slaves.
D)turned the North into a colonial dependency of the more developed South.
E)was nonexistent before the Civil War.

Question 5

The slave population in the South showed no significant growth between 1790 and 1830.

Question 6

A black overseer on a plantation was known as a driver.

Question 7

All of the following might be used to explain the South's distinctiveness,EXCEPT:

A)its climate.
B)its preponderance of farming.
C)its biracial population.
D)the high proportion of immigrants that comprised the overall southern population.
E)its determination to preserve slavery.

Question 8

Which of the following was NOT part of the myth of the Old South's superiority:

A)The standard of living in northern states had declined since slavery had been banned.
B)Kind planters indulged their happy slaves.
C)Slavery was beneficial to both the master and slave.
D)The South was morally superior to the North.
E)One southerner could defeat ten northerners in combat.

Question 9

The large-scale,slaveholding,planter class made up only a very small portion of the overall southern society.

Question 10

Falling crop prices and soil exhaustion spurred many residents from the Carolinas and Virginia to migrate to the Old Southwest.

Question 11

Agricultural diversity in the Old South was practically nonexistent.

Question 12

Men on the southern frontier generally avoided alcohol,gambling,or fighting.

Question 13

The movie Gone with the Wind:

A)realistically portrays slavery.
B)mirrors the portrayal of the South in Uncle Tom's Cabin.
C)presents a mythic view of the Old South.
D)has little remaining influence in our culture.
E)offended white southerners at the time of its release.

Question 14

One of the most realistic depictions of the Old South comes from the classic film Gone with the Wind.

Question 15

Tobacco was the first major cash crop of the South.

Question 16

The South's population:

A)was more ethnically diverse than any other area in the country.
B)had more immigrants from Germany than any other country after the Revolution.
C)declined significantly after the Revolution.
D)had a high proportion of native-born,both black and white.
E)was racially unified due to the region's ban on all immigration.

Question 17

The South was overwhelmingly Catholic.

Question 18

The Old South was a socially,culturally,and economically unified region of the United States.

Question 19

Denmark Vesey plotted a slave insurrection in Charleston,South Carolina.

Question 20

Free blacks were usually wealthy and highly educated.

Question 21

The most numerous white southerners were the:

A)planters.
B)yeoman farmers.
C)"poor whites."
D)manufacturers.
E)overseers.

Question 22

The Old Southwest:

A)included Texas,Arizona,New Mexico,and Utah.
B)attracted thousands of settlers in the 1820s and 1830s with its low land prices and suitability for cotton production.
C)attracted nearly twice as many female as male settlers in the early years.
D)soon boasted the nation's highest standards of public education.
E)was a promised land for slaves because of superior work conditions.

Question 23

The focus on cotton and other cash crops has obscured the degree to which:

A)the antebellum South fed itself from its own fields.
B)the South became totally dependent on the West for its food.
C)the South relied on Britain for its manufactured goods.
D)the North had to use imported cotton from overseas for its textile manufacturers.
E)most white southerners lived and worked in cities.

Question 24

Life in the Old Southwest was characterized by:

A)lack of women.
B)pleasant working conditions.
C)prohibition of alcohol.
D)pacifism.
E)opposition to slavery.

Question 25

Which of the following was NOT a part of the "masculine" culture of the Old Southwest's frontier?

A)violence
B)gender equality
C)alcohol use
D)gambling
E)sexual promiscuity

Question 26

By 1860,the significance of Britain to the southern economy was based on the fact that:

A)Britain provided most of the slaves to the South.
B)Britain was the major consumer of southern tobacco.
C)British consumers sparked the growth of the thriving southern indigo trade.
D)Britain had pledged itself to protect the institution of slavery.
E)Britain was a major importer of southern cotton.

Question 27

Slaves forced to migrate to the Old Southwest were particularly despondent over the:

A)lack of meaningful work that awaited them.
B)control that women exerted over the region's culture and society.
C)absence of alcohol on the frontier.
D)urban and industrial nature of the region.
E)breakup of family ties that resulted from the migration.

Question 28

The plantation mistress:

A)usually led a life of idle leisure.
B)often criticized the prevailing social order and racist climate.
C)generally confronted a double standard in terms of moral and sexual behavior.
D)was sometimes known as the slave driver.
E)represented the typical southern white woman.

Question 29

The frequency of dueling in the South was probably caused by:

A)hot weather that elevated tempers.
B)lack of education of the participants.
C)the absence of police departments.
D)the beauty of southern women.
E)southerners' exalted sense of honor.

Question 30

Most slaves in the lower South:

A)served as household help.
B)supported the institution of slavery.
C)escaped from their masters at one point.
D)were white.
E)labored on large plantations.

Question 31

By 1860,slavery was most concentrated:

A)in the Lower South.
B)in the Carolinas.
C)in the Upper South.
D)in Texas and Louisiana.
E)equally through the South.

Question 32

Plantation mistresses:

A)tended to oppose slavery.
B)very seldom toiled.
C)were usually college-educated.
D)supervised the domestic household.
E)could count on their husbands being faithful.

Question 33

On a plantation,the position responsible for managing the agricultural production in every way was the:

A)driver.
B)slave.
C)field hand.
D)overseer.
E)master.

Question 34

Most southern men prided themselves on adhering to a moral code based on:

A)deference to female authority.
B)racial equality.
C)a prickly sense of honor.
D)the disregard of elders.
E)pacifism.

Question 35

The rapid expansion of the cotton belt in the South:

A)reduced the significance of slavery.
B)spurred a rise in the number of enslaved blacks given their freedom.
C)ensured that the region became more dependent on enslaved black workers.
D)increased the responsibilities of fieldwork for the plantation mistress.
E)eliminated the presence of all other staple crops throughout the region.

Question 36

By the antebellum period,all of the following remained significant cash crops in the South,EXCEPT:

A)cotton.
B)sugar.
C)rice.
D)tobacco.
E)indigo.

Question 37

As southerners moved farther west and south between 1812 and 1860:

A)cotton production soared.
B)the South became less agricultural.
C)the South became less distinctive.
D)fewer slaves were needed.
E)North-South relations got better.

Question 38

During the first half of the nineteenth century,cotton became the most profitable form of agriculture,surpassing:

A)swine.
B)rice.
C)indigo.
D)tobacco.
E)hemp.

Question 39

In the antebellum period,which of the following was in the Old Southwest?

A)Virginia
B)North Carolina
C)Mississippi
D)Georgia
E)South Carolina

Question 40

To be called a "planter," one had to:

A)own at least twenty slaves.
B)work alongside slaves.
C)be engaged in the slave trade.
D)own thousands of slaves.
E)avoid involvement in politics.

Question 41

In an attempt to prevent slave rebellions,southern whites:

A)met any sign of resistance or rebellion with a brutal response.
B)tried to ensure slave loyalty through kind treatment and monetary compensation.
C)had dark-skinned whites infiltrate and spy on slave communities.
D)offered freedom and passage out of the South to the most troublesome slaves.
E)taught slaves the value of hard work.

Question 42

By the 1830s,most Baptists and Methodists in the South:

A)condemned slavery.
B)owned slaves.
C)were wealthy planters.
D)were active in reform movements.
E)defended slavery.

Question 43

Poor whites were often employed as:

A)day laborers.
B)blacksmiths and in other skilled labor positions.
C)slave drivers.
D)teachers.
E)indentured servants.

Question 44

All of the following statements about southern free blacks are true,EXCEPT that:

A)most were very poor.
B)some were slave owners themselves.
C)no women were among them.
D)some owned and operated businesses that served a white clientele.
E)they were still subject to racist legal restrictions not imposed upon whites.

Question 45

Slaves living in southern cities had a much different experience than those on farms because:

A)they were able to interact with an extended interracial community.
B)they held political power.
C)they almost always received a formal education.
D)there were no women slaves in urban areas.
E)only free blacks could own slaves in the city.

Question 46

Which of the following was NOT a common way that slaves established their private communities?

A)openly attempting to organize religious services
B)telling stories about figures like Brer Rabbit,who used his wits to survive against overwhelming odds
C)gathering in secret night meetings where singing and dancing gave them a much-needed emotional release
D)singing religious spirituals that possessed double meanings
E)embracing religion as a way to spiritually free themselves from their captivity

Question 47

Organized resistance to slavery by slaves was risky because:

A)most slaves supported slavery.
B)southern whites possessed overwhelming authority and firepower.
C)slaves were pacifists.
D)slaves did not possess an alternative vision of what should replace slavery.
E)slaves believed that disorganized resistance was far more effective.

Question 48

Theories of racial superiority were significant in the South because they:

A)created a sense of unity that bridged class divisions among most southern whites.
B)were primarily adhered to by the planter elite that owned slaves.
C)played no role in encouraging white support of slavery.
D)were created by slaves to justify their enslavement.
E)fostered slave rebellions among slaves who believed in the inferiority of the planter class.

Question 49

Free blacks in the South:

A)sometimes owned slaves.
B)were always of mixed race.
C)enjoyed full legal equality.
D)outnumbered slaves.
E)mostly immigrated to Africa.

Question 50

Slave religion:

A)mixed African and Christian elements.
B)caused slaves to accept their condition.
C)required reading of the Bible.
D)was stamped out by white masters.
E)was best observed during racially integrated church services.

Question 51

Why were slave women valued by slave owners?

A)They exclusively did the household labor.
B)They had low birthrates due to their oppression.
C)Their ability to reproduce increased the number of slaves owned.
D)They were allowed to marry white men.
E)They were solely responsible for harvesting the fields.

Question 52

Middling farmers in the South:

A)usually owned slaves.
B)generally supported white supremacy.
C)lived on the verge of starvation.
D)were the lower class of the region.
E)were outnumbered by the planters.

Question 53

Approximately how many slaves joined Christian denominations by 1860?

A)none
B)100 percent
C)more than half
D)20 percent
E)less than 1 percent

Question 54

The rules that governed virtually every aspect of slave life were known as:

A)paternalism.
B)a slave code.
C)civil law.
D)slaveocracy.
E)total control.

Question 55

The legal prohibition that denied slaves the right to marry:

A)prevented slaves from forming families.
B)led to a devaluing of love in the slave community.
C)did not stop slaves from choosing partners and forging a family life.
D)reduced the significance of religion in slave life.
E)did not apply to white mistresses who chose to marry a slave.

Question 56

Which of the following statements was generally true of slave life?

A)Their lives were very similar from place to place and master to master.
B)Masters saw the wisdom in feeding their slaves well.
C)Field hands were organized into work gangs.
D)Slave mothers saw the overwhelming majority of their children reach adulthood.
E)Punishments were only meted out when warranted by a serious crime.

Question 57

Which of the following was NOT a major motivation for whipping a slave?

A)illustrating absolute physical control
B)showing other slaves the penalty for bad behavior and poor habits
C)as a punishment for a crime
D)for failing to recognize the moral superiority of the overseer and driver
E)for failing to meet labor expectations

Question 58

Approximately how many slaves lived in the South in 1860?

A)30,000
B)100,000
C)1 million
D)4 million
E)10 million

Question 59

Some free blacks were:

A)eligible to vote.
B)immigrants from the Caribbean.
C)local political leaders.
D)people of mixed ancestry called mulattoes.
E)considered equal to whites.

Question 60

Slave owners in the antebellum South acquired additional slaves from:

A)Africa.
B)Brazil.
C)the domestic slave trade.
D)the West Indies.
E)Asia.

Question 61

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Harriet Beecher Stowe

A)plotted a slave revolt near Richmond in 1800
B)was hanged for killing her master when defending herself against a sexual assault
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)plantation mistress who was a critic of the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue
F)allegedly plotted slave rebellion in South Carolina
G)free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history,just north of New Orleans
I)author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
J)led a slave revolt in 1831 in Southampton County,Virginia

Question 62

In what ways was southern society diverse? Explain how certain unifying factors tied the region together into what is known as "the South."

Question 63

How prevalent were slave rebellions in antebellum America? Detail the most significant of the nineteenth-century rebellions and explain their significance to understanding the period.

Question 64

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Mary Chestnut

A)plotted a slave revolt near Richmond in 1800
B)was hanged for killing her master when defending herself against a sexual assault
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)plantation mistress who was a critic of the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue
F)allegedly plotted slave rebellion in South Carolina
G)free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history,just north of New Orleans
I)author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
J)led a slave revolt in 1831 in Southampton County,Virginia

Question 65

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Charles Deslondes

A)plotted a slave revolt near Richmond in 1800
B)was hanged for killing her master when defending herself against a sexual assault
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)plantation mistress who was a critic of the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue
F)allegedly plotted slave rebellion in South Carolina
G)free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history,just north of New Orleans
I)author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
J)led a slave revolt in 1831 in Southampton County,Virginia

Question 66

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Denmark Vesey

A)plotted a slave revolt near Richmond in 1800
B)was hanged for killing her master when defending herself against a sexual assault
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)plantation mistress who was a critic of the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue
F)allegedly plotted slave rebellion in South Carolina
G)free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history,just north of New Orleans
I)author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
J)led a slave revolt in 1831 in Southampton County,Virginia

Question 67

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Gabriel Prosser

A)plotted a slave revolt near Richmond in 1800
B)was hanged for killing her master when defending herself against a sexual assault
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)plantation mistress who was a critic of the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue
F)allegedly plotted slave rebellion in South Carolina
G)free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history,just north of New Orleans
I)author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
J)led a slave revolt in 1831 in Southampton County,Virginia

Question 68

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Nat Turner

A)plotted a slave revolt near Richmond in 1800
B)was hanged for killing her master when defending herself against a sexual assault
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)plantation mistress who was a critic of the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue
F)allegedly plotted slave rebellion in South Carolina
G)free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history,just north of New Orleans
I)author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
J)led a slave revolt in 1831 in Southampton County,Virginia

Question 69

Discuss "agricultural diversity" as it relates to the Old South.Why did cotton become so important,and what significance did other crops hold for the region?

Question 70

Trace the development of black society in the Old South.What were the different groups that comprised black society? What distinguished them from each other and what tied them together?

Question 71

What roles did religion,folklore,and family life play in the lives of slaves?

Question 72

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Solomon Northup

A)plotted a slave revolt near Richmond in 1800
B)was hanged for killing her master when defending herself against a sexual assault
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)plantation mistress who was a critic of the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue
F)allegedly plotted slave rebellion in South Carolina
G)free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history,just north of New Orleans
I)author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
J)led a slave revolt in 1831 in Southampton County,Virginia

Question 73

What made the Old Southwest different from other parts of the South? Why are those differences important to understanding the antebellum period?

Question 74

A typical form of resistance pursued by slaves entailed:

A)outright rebellion.
B)running away.
C)suicide.
D)malingering,feigning illness,and sabotage.
E)arson.

Question 75

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Celia

A)plotted a slave revolt near Richmond in 1800
B)was hanged for killing her master when defending herself against a sexual assault
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)plantation mistress who was a critic of the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue
F)allegedly plotted slave rebellion in South Carolina
G)free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history,just north of New Orleans
I)author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
J)led a slave revolt in 1831 in Southampton County,Virginia

Question 76

Describe white society in the Old South.What myths have been associated with its various groups? In each case,what was the reality?

Question 77

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Frederick Douglass

A)plotted a slave revolt near Richmond in 1800
B)was hanged for killing her master when defending herself against a sexual assault
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)plantation mistress who was a critic of the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue
F)allegedly plotted slave rebellion in South Carolina
G)free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history,just north of New Orleans
I)author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
J)led a slave revolt in 1831 in Southampton County,Virginia

Question 78

The slave revolt led by Nat Turner:

A)resulted in his escape to Canada.
B)was one of hundreds in American history.
C)proved the influence of abolitionists in the South.
D)was betrayed before it even got started.
E)killed more than fifty whites before its suppression.

Question 79

Discuss the concept of honor in the Old South,and what role,if any,violence played in everyday society.

Question 80

How important was slavery to the economy of the Old South? Discuss its effects on agriculture,industry,and any other relevant aspects of the South.