Emancipation and the African-American “Freedmen’s”ExperienceI. Slavery in General1. Old as humanity- not Euro-Americana. American Indians raid enemy villages for slaves to replace people who have died (loved ones) for warfare, etc.b. Romans allowed slaves to buy their freedomc. After a set period of time, kids won’t be slavesd. Not based on raceII. The Worldwide History of Slavery1. Four Unique Characteristics of Euro-American Slaverya. Economic sourceb. Slaves seen as property in the eyes of the law; have monetary worthc. Permanent; hereditaryd. Racially based2. Euro-American slave trade began in the Caribbean3. 75% slaves in Caribbean and Brazil produced sugar4. American slavery inherited from Europea. Virginia, 1619- tobaccob. First slaves were natives because they knew the land1. Ended because they fought back, and diseasec. Colonists tried to enslave each other (indentured servitude)d. Switched to African slaves because they were cheap and easy to controlIII. Slavery and the South – the “Keystone” of Southern Society and Culture1. slavery as a source of economic/political power2. slavery and poor whites – the “social floor”a. “may be poor, white trash, but at least you’re not a slave”3. After the war: recreating the slave system without slavery4. 75% southern whites don’t own slaves5. 4 million slaves in the south. Mostly deep southIV. The End of Slavery and the Beginning of Freedom – Now What?1. Searching for family2. Schools and education3. Establishing Churches4. Entering Politics5. Want to live a normal, American lifea. School/education from Freedman’s Bureaub. Established black collegesc. Want jobsd. Want to live the (1865) American Dream- have afarm, grow enough for your family, and maybe have some left over to sellV. The Problem of Making a Living – the Rise of Sharecropping1. The Freedmen’s dream: independent “yeoman” farminga. “Nothing But Freedom” – no longer slaves, but no land, forced to work for old owners, leads to share croppingb. Resistance to Black Codes and the Old Plantationc. How to make a living?2. White plantation owners – need cheap labor. How to get it?3. Northerners want to help former slaves 40 acres and a mulea. Seen as too radical in the south4. Solution – the Sharecropping Systema. benefits both parties (although whites get the better end of the deal)b. Freedmen supply labor, white owners supply equipment, tools – all profits split 50/50 (in theory)c. The Problem of “Debt Peonage” and the sharecropping trapFinal Thought – if the North had had more willpower, would Reconstruction have ended
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