Unit 3 Test 2
Other names for Democratic party:
Jacksonian Democrats or Democratic Republicans
Other names for American party:
Know Nothings (Were called Know Nothings because, when asked about the party and its priorities, the members often replied, "I know nothing.")
Whig Party (Remained a viable political party until the mid-1850's when tensions over sectional politics and the expansion of slavery into new territories split the party into northern and southern factions)
Main faction that emerged to oppose the Democrats in the mid- 1830's • Party made of mainly of sugarcane planters in the southern region of Louisiana • Tended to favor business and banking interests over the rights of the common man • Coming from wealthy backgrounds and old New Orleans families, they supported a strong national bank and federal funding for internal improvements ( inf r astr u ctur e) • Sought government support for the development of the infrastructure (roads, bridges, canals, railroads, etc.) which they believed would make doing business easier and make the nation more prosperous • Did not support Universal White Manhood Suffrage • Believed that voting was a privilege that was guaranteed through a certain status in society a n d that eligible citizens were those who had "earned" the right to vote • Many sugar planters were drawn to the Whig Party because of its support of a sugar tariff • Sugar planters liked the idea of a tax on imported sugar that would make their locally grown sugar more competitive
Other names for Whig party:
country folks or Acadians
what was the difference between a Creole and Foreign French? Why would a Foreign French becoming governor in Louisiana cause a problem?
-The Creole-American rivalry became even more complicated when a member of a new immigrant group gained the governor's office in 1828. Pierre Derbigny was born in France and was "foreign French," the term used to describe French-speaking immigrants who came to Louisiana directly from France beginning in the 1820's.
how did early water travel in Louisiana differ from water travel with the Henry Shreve's invention of the steamboat?
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who was able to vote in Louisiana at this time, and who could not vote?
- Although virtually all free white men gained the vote during the Antebellum period, women were not believed to be interested in politics or capable of understanding political issues. Most people believed that a woman's proper place was in the home. Under these laws, when a woman married, her husband became her head and master, as her father had been before the marriage. Due to civil law practices dating from the colonial period, a woman or her family did have the option to obtain a separate property agreement before marriage, through which the property and wealth she brought to the marriage would remain her own. If a woman failed to make a separate property agreement beforehand, all of the property she brought to the marriage became community property, and a husband could dispose of it without his wife's knowledge or permission.
what was affecting Louisiana politics at this time, and who did most people of Louisiana associate themselves?
- Americans and Louisianans became more focused on regional and local issues. This interest in local issues was known as sectionalism. In Louisiana, the growth of sectionalism was influenced by political factions, a small group of people united by common interests and beliefs within a larger group. The factions that developed in Louisiana were largely based on where a person lived, what religion they practiced, and what cash crops they grew. They identified themselves with a particular political party or politician. During the Antebellum period, most Louisianans aligned themselves with Democrats who supported Andrew Jackson or with Whigs who opposed Jackson.
what was necessary to grow cotton?
- Cotton was raised in plantation settings, but because it required less investment in infrastructure, it could also be grown profitably on smaller farms. Whether cotton was grown by slaves or farm families, its production continued for much of the year. Cotton harvesting required a planter to plant cotton by hand well before the summer allowing many months for it to grow. Constant hoeing was necessary to keep the rows free of weeds. By late summer, picking began. The cotton had to be pulled gently from its leaves and the seeds pulled away from the cotton material. This process of removing seeds is similar to removing watermelon seeds from the fruit by hand. This meant that the process of harvesting a cotton field could take the average person months to do. However, this all needed to be done quickly. Cotton balls could go bad if left too long, making the plant useless and costing the planter a considerable amount of money. Once the cotton was cleaned and processed into bales, it could be shipped to New Orleans for sale to domestic and international markets.
how did Louisiana's economy thrive during the Antebellum Era?
- During this era, New Orleans became one of the nation's largest cities and most economically important ports.Some people made vast fortunes in facilitating this trade. Others became wealthy through agriculture, particularly the production of sugar and cotton for export.
what were some issue with steamboat traveling during the Antebellum Era?
- Early steamboat s could only be used in deep water or vast rivers because they were very heavy and could easily get stuck in shallow areas. Louisiana inventor Henry Shreve fixed this problem by introducing the flat-bottomed steamboat, which was similar to a raft with a propeller. Shreve was also responsible for clearing a large area of the Red River known as the Red River Raft, allowing his steamboat s to travel between the Mississippi and the Red Rivers. Steamboat travel was largely unregulated in its early years, leading to chaos on the river. Often, the river was as packed as a modern-day traffic jam on its worst days. Equipment malfunctions as well as collisions and explosions were among the dangers of steamboat travel. With no one managing traffic on the river, steamboats carrying goods and passengers occasionally collided. Steam engines created overheat making collisions and explosions and especially dangerous. Even with these dangers,steamboats were critical to the transportation of goods and the growth of New Orleans as the second largest port in the country. sugar and cotton were the two main crops that underwrote the port's success and made so many Louisiana planters prosperous.
how did Norbert Rillieux's invention revolutionize sugar production?
- Etienne de Bore, introduced a new system for refining sugar. It involved slicing the sugarcane stalks with sharp knives and then boiling them in heavy kettles. This allowed the stalks to fall off and float to the top of the kettle, where they were skimmed off like fat. The sugar that separated from the stalks eventually turned into liquid, or sugarcane "juice." Norbert Rillieux, a famous New Orleans inventor who was also a free person of color, perfected de Bore's method. He used pipe systems to heat the kettles, dry the sugarcane juice into granules via a vacuum, and pump the refined sugar into containers to ship. His invention of the vacuum pan evaporator allowed less sugarcane juice to be lost in the boiling and drying process. Rillieux's methods increased production dramatically by cutting processing time in half. Demand for sugar
who was in charge of political power during the Antebellum Era, and how did most creoles feel about American governor Thomas Robertson?
- For the eight years between 1820 and 1828, Americans dominated the office. Thomas Robertson, who was born in Virginia and first came to Louisiana as an appointee of Thomas Jefferson, was elected in 1820. Many Creoles thought he focused on adopting laws and policies that favored Americans.
why were banks an essential part of the plantation economy system?
-Banks and bankers were also essential to Louisiana's Antebellum economy. t in making capital resources available to support the development of businesses in both urban and rural parts of the state. Banks made the loans or sold the bonds that made the construction of public and private buildings and infrastructure projects possible. They also loaned money to planters so they could buy new land and equipment, or build upgraded production facilities like sugar houses.
explain the impact of the Free People of Color, and what their life was like at this time?
- More than 1,000 slaves had purchased their freedom or were manumitted during the French and Spanish periods. These individuals became part of a third group of people in Louisiana society known as free people of color. Free people of color also included Native Americans, immigrants who had been free prior to arriving in Louisiana, and those who had been born free in Louisiana. Free people of color were protected under Louisiana law and give n certain rights and freedoms. They could not be re-enslaved, they could purchase land, and they could own or work in certain businesses. Most lived in the city of New Orleans. However, some had their own plantations outside of the city. Louisiana had the largest number of free people of color in the United States. Approximately 1,300 free people of color lived in New Orleans at the time of the Louisiana Purchase. their numbers increased to about 45 percent of the city's population.
how did improvements to crop productivity and transportation impact Louisiana's relationship with the North and in turn its economy? How did the sugar tariff affect Louisiana?
- Not only did Louisiana and other Southern states benefit from inventions like the cotton gin and the steamboat, but so did manufacturers in the North and farmers and ranchers in the West. An expanding transportation network that included roads, railroads, and canals helped knit the regions of the United States together. This network contributed to the economic growth for each region and the whole country. . In the North, textile mills and other large manufacturing plants were built during this period of technological and scientific advancement. Like much of the South, Louisiana took advantage of these plants, shipping their raw materials like cotton to textile mills in the North. The finished goods were then either sold in the North or shipped back to Louisiana to be sold or transported to other states or overseas. The federal government imposed a protective tariff or tax on imported goods, which encouraged Americans to buy goods made in the United States. In effect, the tariff protected American made goods from foreign competition by making it more expensive to buy items from another country. Although many Southerners did not like the tariff, it benefited many Louisiana planters, especially sugar planters, by making sugar produced in the Caribbean more expensive than sugar from Louisiana. This made sugar a very profitable business and gave Louisianans an advantage.
how did Louisiana's waterways impact its economy during the Antebellum Era?
- The Mississippi River had always served as a "highway" for transporting products throughout the nation because many rivers connected to it. The Gulf of Mexico also allowed Louisiana products to be shipped easily to the Caribbean, Latin America, and up the eastern seaboard of the United States. During the 1820's, New Orleans became the second-largest port in the country, with goods of all types shipping in and out on a daily basis. Starting in the 1820's, new forms of transportation revolutionized travel and the shipment of goods. New Orleans' importance as a port city increased as a result.
besides the ethnic rivalries amongst the Creoles, Americans, and Foreign French, what other tensions affected Louisiana politics?
- Voters in North Louisiana believed that New Orleans, which they saw as the Creole capital, had too much influence over the state's politics. They tried to address this unfairness by moving the capital away from New Orleans, in the belief that this would reduce the city's power.
why were factors important to the plantation economy system?
- When planters returned home, they relied on the skills and knowledge of financial representatives called factors. A factor oversaw the arrival of shipments of sugar and cotton, advised the planter on the best moment to sell, and arranged for boats to ship their client's crop to its final destination. Some even arranged for the purchase and shipment of building materials and furnishings for those luxurious plantation homes. A knowledgeable factor was key to a planter's success. He often loaned the client money for seeds and supplies.
explain the life of an urban or city slave.
- Work lay at the center of a slave's existence, but the particular labor that a slave did depended on a number of different circumstances. In an urban area like New Orleans, slaves did a dizzying array (assortment, range) of jobs. Some slaves worked on the waterfront, loading and unloading boats with cotton, sugar, and other imported and exported goods. Others were rented out by their masters for day labor tasks or were assigned to run businesses, like rooming houses or taverns. often did domestic work, caring for a home and the needs of its family.
why were there few crops besides indigo and rice being produced in Louisiana prior to the Antebellum period?
- most of these crops were very labor intensive and hard to produce in large quantities. they required adequate water sources and a controlled environment that was often tricky to negotiate prior to modern systems of water control. If a crop was flooded due to a hurricane, it could be ruined.
what was the reality of plantation life and slavery during the Antebellum Era?
- when only about a quarter of southern families actually owned slaves. Although slave owners were not a majority of the population, owning slaves was a central economic aspiration or goal, and many people believed it was the surest route to prosperity. Only one percent of Southern planters owned more than 50 slaves. Most Louisianians lived on small farms and ranches with ten or fewer slaves. Slightly more than half of all slaves in Louisiana lived on plantations, but the agricultural output from plantations far exceeded the output of small farmers. While only 52 percent of slaves lived and worked on plantations, their labors produced 75 percent of the export crops produced in Louisiana and other slave-holding states.
how did slave owners prevent runaways or slave revolts?
-. Because of this fear, many were very harsh with any slaves who showed signs of rebellion. Slaves who did not obey their master, mistress, or overseer faced severe punishment. As long as a slave was not killed, punishments, including whipping, maiming, or imprisonment were considered legal. Maiming might also include amputating a slave's hand for stealing. In addition to imprisonment in a cell or cage, a slave might also be forced to wear a device, such as a punishment collar with spikes sticking out in several directions. . Other punishment devices included muzzles and iron masks. On extreme occasions, slaves were put to death for misbehavior. . They would burn the dinner, steal small items of food, take longer to complete their tasks, or damage tools like shovels used for harvesting crops. These small acts of rebellion were calculated and almost impossible to directly link back to the slaves themselves.
how did early railway travel differ from the invention of steam powered railroads?
-. In 1830, Louisiana's first railroad was built along a six-mile stretch between the Mississippi riverfront and Lake Pontchartrain. Called the Pontchartrain Railroad, it allowed for easy access to offload goods from the Gulf of Mexico to the Mississippi River to ship up north, and vice versa. . Early railway cars were pulled by horses, and they could only move small items. On the other hand, steam-powered engines allowed railcars to travel at much greater speeds with more cargo. Other railroad lines appeared here and there throughout the state, their owners intent on increasing shipping for cotton, cattle, people, and sugar.
why was life in both rural and urban Louisiana during the Antebellum Era hard?
-. In New Orleans, flood s of immigrants (Irish, German, Scottish , and Eastern Europeans) made the city overcrowded. Unsanitary health conditions made it dirty. With no mechanism for sewage control, individuals often dumped their garbage in the canals next to their house or along the street. Wild pigs often roamed freely through the city, while horse-drawn carriages provided one of the only steady forms of transportation. Clean water was also very hard to find in the middle of cities. Many residents collected rainwater in large containers known as cisterns. These cisterns often sat near the edge of a house or in the middle of a square, and depending on how long the water sat in the cistern, it could become stagnant, filled with disease, bugs, or mosquito larvae. Massive epidemics like yellow fever and cholera were of major concern to plantation owners. Yellow fever, spread through the mosquito bite, was rampant during this time period. The threat tapered off during colder months, but increased with the hatching of mosquito eggs in the spring and summer. A yellow-fever epidemic swept through New Orleans in 1853, killing more than 9,000 people. Houses were marked with an "X" to signify that someone within had fallen sick. Cholera was also a common problem on plantations. Cholera is an illness that starts when someone drinks diseased water. The disease works through the body quickly, causing a person to become physically ill often leading to life-threatening dehydration. . Living out in the country meant that people suffering from cholera were often on their own. It could take days for a local doctor to get to someone in need. With such life-threatening living conditions, masters and mistresses had a lot to worry about in their isolated houses. . Disease was a constant threat to the livelihood of the plantation.
explain the Constitution of 1852, who influenced these decisions?
-. The Constitution of 1845 reflected the Democrats' desire to write universal manhood suffrage into the state's fundamental law. Democrats also succeeded at limiting state aid to private enterprises or businesses. . Democrats in New Orleans preferred to use the total number of registered voters to determine the apportionment (distribution) of seats in the state legislature. Planters preferred that total population numbers, including slaves, be used as the basis for determining those numbers. The 1845 Constitution came to a compromise by allocating seats in the state House of Representatives based on registered voters and in the Senate based on total population, including slaves. As a compromise document, the Constitution of 1845 pleased almost no one, so a new constitution was adopted in 1852.
how did Creole Governor Roman contribute to the growth and development of Louisiana?
-. The next elected governor was the Creole André Bienvenu Roman, who served two full terms (1831-1835 and 1839-1843), separated by the term of the American, Edward Douglass White. Roman is credited with being one of the state's most effective Antebellum governors. In his first term, he focused on improving the quality of levees and the state's rudimentary or undeveloped system of roads. He also supported the development of the state's first railroads.
How did the Constitution of 1852 differ from that of 1845?
-.The 1852 Constitution reasserted Whig priorities like government support for business endeavors, particularly those related to banking and internal improvements. Whigs argued that roads and railroads would expand opportunities for commerce and the development of wealth. The new constitution of 1852 retained the Democratic priority of Universal Manhood Suffrage. The residency requirement for voting dropped from two years to one. It excluded all convicts who had served time in Louisiana prisons from voting. It also made almost all offices of the government elective, including judges. Finally, it divided Louisiana into four districts to help balance the power among voters in all regions. The most significant change dealt with determining legislative representation. Instead of counting the total population, including slaves, just for the state senate, the new constitution applied that policy to the whole legislature.
who was the American Party, and use the chart to highlight their views that shaped Louisiana politics? Who did they dislike and why could this be a problem?
-American Party Know Nothings (Were called Know Nothings because, when asked about the party and its priorities, the members often replied, "I know nothing.". Party hostile to new immigrants who came to the U.S. and took American jobs. They believed that people who had been in the U.S. a generation or longer should have a greater say in politics than newly arriving immigrants. Believed Democrats exploited immigrants, particularly working-class Germans and Irish, in order to expand their voting base. Because most of the Irish who immigrated to the United States in the Antebellum period were Catholic, members of the American Party were also known to be anti-Catholic
what was this time period best known as and why? Who was in charge of the country at this time, and what do you remember about him?
-Andrew Jackson served as president of the United States for two terms (1829-1837) and changed the nation's politics in profound ways. He was so influential that some historians have come to call this period the Age of Jackson. Other historians refer to the years between 1820 and 1860 as the Antebellum period or the period before war because they are the decades that preceded the American Civil War.
why was the railroad travel not as popular as water travel in the Antebellum Era?
-Construction was slow because of expense and danger. Trains often derailed, and passengers were often forced to get out and help return the train to its tracks. Louisiana's swampy marshland was often filled with water, disease, and pests. Land along some areas had to be drained, cleared, or often built up in order to put in railroad tracks. . Many of the workers often succumbed to these conditions, falling ill with diseases like yellow fever or to the elements such as alligator infested waters. The hope was that, by connecting Louisiana with economic centers in other states, even more business could be created. However, railroad development remained in its infancy in the antebellum period.
how did New Orleans's population influence government?
-Ever since Louisiana became a state, cotton planters in northern Louisiana complained about their lack of representation in state elections. At the same time, sugar farmers and cattle ranchers in southern and western Louisiana were also concerned about their representation. New Orleans had the largest population in the state and held the seat of power because the capital was located there and legislature met there. As a result, legislation created by the state government tended to benefit the people of New Orleans and not the rest of the state. For example, money given to improve roads and build levees was most often spent in the city and the regions surrounding it.
what new set of laws were created during this time, and how did they impact Louisiana and its people?
-Following the Louisiana Purchase, the Code Noir and other slave codes were rewritten to reflect Anglo American ideas about slavery. , they drastically changed the legal protect ion of slaves. In the eyes of the American legal system, slaves were not people; they were property. As a result, slaves could no longer appear in a court of law to protest harsh treatment or appear as witnesses in a court case. If an owner mistreated a slave, the slave would have to seek the help of a white overseer, neighbor, or local lawyer to back up his or her statements and present them in court. If a person was born a slave, they would be a slave for life. Second, under the new Black Codes, free people of color slowly lost their rights. They went from having protections under Louisiana law to being defined as similar to slaves, with minimal freedom. As the period progressed, this group of individuals was encouraged to give up their freedom either by moving out of Louisiana or choosing to become slaves. The last thing the Black Codes did was to define the racial differences between whites and blacks in Louisiana.
explain the Constitution of 1845, who influenced these decisions?
-From the late 1820's to the early 1840's, the Whigs won the governor's seat in every election. It was not until 1843 that a Democrat was elected governor. By then, the Democrats had enough support in the state legislature to call for a convention to write a new constitution.
how did the cotton gin revolutionize cotton production?
-In 1793, inventor Eli Whitney introduced a new method for harvesting cotton using a device he invented, the cotton gin. Whitney's invention eliminated the need to remove cottonseeds by hand. His machine shook the balls at a rapid rate, sifting the cotton quickly and allowing the seeds to fall out. This was a much quicker process. The cotton gin made it possible to sift about 50 pounds of cotton per day, which was equal to the work of 50 people. Cotton production more than doubled in Louisiana between 1840 and 1860. In the latter year, the state's farmers and planters produced one-sixth of the nation's cotton.
due to the competing and ethnic neighborhood differences in New Orleans, what municipalities were created?
-In fact, competing ethnic and neighborhood identities within the city splintered city governance and led to the creation of three separate municipalities. The French Quarter, largely inhabited by Creoles, became the first district. The second district was composed of neighborhoods above Canal Street and was the area identified with Americans who had settled there in large numbers. The third district was downriver from the French Quarter and was identified with working-class people, many of them recent immigrants. Each district had its own separate council. Thus, the state's biggest city was essentially administered as though it were three distinct entities between 1836 and 1852.
why were the Mississippi River and New Orleans so important during this time?
-Port of New Orleans was a booming, bustling center for imports and exports. All Louisiana residents and planters relied on it to some degree or another. The profitable commercial activity at the Port of New Orleans gave rise to the complimentary nickname, Queen City of the South. By the 1820's, Louisiana had developed a booming economy and growing population.
what did slaves living on a plantation in Louisiana do during their free time?
-Socializing often involved playing music or telling stories. Music appeared in many aspects of slaves' lives. In Louisiana, slaves sang songs while they worked to provide each other with support, warn of oncoming problems or dangers, or even just to pass the time. Often, slaves were allowed to gather on Sundays to celebrate in rural churches, on neighboring plantations, or in the outskirts of New Orleans in a place known as Congo Square., yet they were able to communicate through music and dance.
what was necessary to grow sugarcane?
-Sugarcane required a long, warm growing season. It also tended to be grown in a plantation setting because it required more land, labor, and infrastructure to be grown profitably. Thus, sugar planters needed a certain amount of capital to purchase the land and labor force and to develop the facilities for turning sugarcane into granulated sugar. Early sugar-refining processes required multiple steps, all involving hard physical labor. After planting the crop and letting it grow until it was a tall reed, or sugarcane stalk, the planter cut the stalk with a large knife. Once cut, the stalk was ground down by stomping on it or using a large roller to break it up until a thick syrup was produced. With hard rinds covering the internal sugar granules of the stalk, this process was difficult work. After the stomping process, the syrup was laid out to dry to produce granules, like those used in cooking or on tables, or used as a syrup (like molasses). Sugar in Louisiana was often brown, unlike the white sugar from the Caribbean.
why was there a need for a new constitution during this time?
-The influx of immigrants was one of several issues that prompted changes to the state constitution. The increased population resulted in the creation of new parishes. Louisiana grew from having 28 parishes before the Louisiana Purchase to having 42 parishes by 1845. Because of property and residency requirements, these new immigrants could not vote. There were also many people who had lived in the state for more than 30 years who still could not vote because they did not own land or slaves. This and other issues eventually led to calls for a new constitution.
why was tobacco cultivation not as successful as cotton and sugarcane?
-Tobacco, a popular staple crop in other areas of the United States, did not grow well at first in the Louisiana climate. To harvest tobacco leaves, workers had to pick the leaves individually, without damaging the plant. Then these leaves had to be laid out to dry in a hot, non-humid place until they dried and shriveled up. Since they were in an extremely humid region for the majority of the year, Louisiana tobacco leaves often did not dry adequately. It was incredibly difficult to make money from tobacco, so few Louisiana farmers grew it.
who were the Whigs, and use the chart to highlight their views that shaped Louisiana politics? Base on their views, who would most likely favor the Whig party and why?
-Whig Party Remained a viable political party until the mid-1850's when tensions over sectional politics and the expansion of slavery into new territories split the party into northern and southern factions. country folks or Acadians. emerged to oppose the Democrats in the mid-1830's Party made of mainly of sugarcane planters in the southern region of Louisiana Tended to favor business and banking interests over the rights of the common man Coming from wealthy backgrounds and old New Orleans families, they supported a strong national bank and federal funding for internal improvements (infrastructure) Sought government support for the development of the infrastructure (roads, bridges, canals, railroads, etc.) which they believed would make doing business easier and make the nation more prosperous Did not support Universal White Manhood Suffrage
explain life of a house slave on a plantation.
-While most slaves worked in the fields, a limited n umber worked in the Big House as domestic slaves. They were cooks, nursemaids, footmen, and hous e servants. . Cooks prepared all meals served on the plantation. For most cooks, supplies were kept under lock and key by the plantation mistress, with everything accounted for on a daily basis. . Some slaves were responsible for taking items to market in various cities and towns throughout Louisiana. This included eggs from chickens, craft items like furniture or shoes, and clothing.
explain life on a plantation and plantation/field slavery.
-Work routines for plantation slaves varied considerably based on the kind of cash crop they produced. The size of a holding, the number of slaves who lived and worked for a single master, also played a role. Slave-owners with small farms and few slaves usually worked long hours alongside their slaves. If a slave was part of a smaller holding, individuals were expected to perform a number of different jobs depending on the needs of their owners at various points in the year. Most slaves lived in small rather than large holdings. , the master's main duty was to manage its operation. Most large plantation owners had help from an overseer, who could be a poor white man or a free black man. The overseer directed the daily work of slaves and was responsible for disciplining them. He was also responsible for the care of livestock and equipment on the plantation. If a slave was part of a large holding, individuals tended to work in a more specialized fashion. Only one percent of planters owned one hundred or more slaves. An average day on the plantation usually meant rising at sunup and working until sunset. Most slaves worked in the fields, picking cotton, harvesting sugarcane, or plowing the land. This was grueling work-often done in extreme heat-at a rapid pace. Field hands or slaves worked in groups of ten. This sped up the process of harvesting crops, as each group was responsible for one major task. There was usually little distinction between male and female work in the fields. Females were prized for their small hands, which could aid in harvests. Males were valued for their strength. In addition, children were often sent into the fields or used in the Big House for small tasks as soon as they could work.
explain life of a plantation owner during the Antebellum Era.
Because of this arrangement, many plantations developed next to each other on the river. , including the slave quarters, fields, and manufacturing area, was behind the Big House. Planters took great pride in showcasing their houses along the river fronts, planting large oak trees that led up to the house, or decorating their houses with colorful designs. The amount of land also influenced the shape of houses, particularly in the New Orleans area. Houses were built to mimic the long, thin strip of land. . The master and mistress of the plantation were atthe top of the hierarchy .They lived in the Big House and owned the plantation. Beneath them were the white overseers, who lived in small houses behind the Big House. At the bottom of the hierarchy were the enslaved workers, who lived in small crude cabins in the slave quarters. Life as a m aster or mistress was lonely. They were spread out from family, with treacherous roads and hard-to-navigate waterways in between. In addition, their livelihood depended on making a profit from their cash crop. Profits were susceptible to the forces of Mother Nature or a bad economy. Either way, poor profits might cause a plantation owner to sell his slaves or downsize in other ways. In addition, there were countless wild animals, snakes, bears, alligators, and mosquitos, that could threaten your everyday existence. Often due to the incredible heat of summer, windows and doors were left open to help with airflow. While many people slept under large nets draped over their beds, others had to rely on clothing for protection.
who were the Democrats, and use the chart to highlight their views that shaped Louisiana politics?
Democratic Party, Jacksonian Democrats or Democratic Republicans. Supported Andrew Jackson and his "Common Man" philosophy. Primarily cotton farmers from the northern and western regions of Louisiana. Favored smaller government and programs designed to support common people and their interests. Wary of big businesses, including banks and monopolies, a company that completely controls an industry, making no room for competition. Preferred widespread political participation rather than a narrow franchise (right to vote) that favored property owners and the wealthy..Sought a broad franchise with few, if any, requirements for voting so long as one was a free white man who had reached the age of twenty-one known as Universal White Manhood Suffrage
which factors began to shape political alignments throughout Louisiana?
Ethnicity and regional identities were two factors that shaped political alignments.
explain slave trade in New Orleans?
New Orleans became the center of the slave trade in the Deep South. where the demand for slaves was on the rise. . It comprised a series of high-walled pens located by the riverfront or on the outskirts of the French Quarter. The pens were overcrowded with up to 150 slaves at a time including men, women, and children. The slaves of a master who died were often sold in a group at a public auction to pay off any remaining debts. most slave sales took place between a broker and a single buyer in private slave markets concentrated in the business district just above Canal Street. The season for slave selling was September to April. Slave brokers kept detailed records that have allowed historians to better understand what this process was like for all the parties involved. This number represents roughly half of the slave sales in the United States prior to the Civil War. . Live auctions took place daily. Slave traders often purchased slaves with particular skills or body types, or at a particular price. They often separated families. The average price for a slave was between $200 and $1500 which was a sizable amount of money in the 1800's. After sale at auction, many slaves were forced to walk up to twenty miles to their new owner's plantation. As antislavery sentiment grew in the North, the market for slaves grew ever more active in the South. As the demand rose, the prices of slaves rose steadily. In some places, the prices paid for slaves tripled in the years between 1810 and 1860.
why did Louisiana especially New Orleans attract so many immigrants? What new group of immigrants came to Louisiana during this time?
New Orleans became the second-largest point of immigration in the United States during the Antebellum period. . Louisiana had many job opportunities building levees, working on small farms, working in the shipping industry on the docks, or building new roads and railroads. Additionally, unlike at Ellis island, where immigrants were quarantined and potentially sent back to Europe, immigrants who came to New Orleans could get off the boats at the docks in front of Jackson Square and stroll into the city or move away to other parts of the state without being detained . For many, the decision to move to Louisiana was motivated by potential economic gain. For others, it was because of family or religious connections already in place in the area. Louisiana had a diverse blend of cultures, including German, French, Spanish, and English, as well as a community of free people of color. Moreover, Louisiana was friendly to Irish immigrants during a time when they were not welcome in other areas of the United States. The Irish population in Louisiana grew substantially due to the Irish Potato Famine that began in 1845. This new population quickly settled into areas of Louisiana, particularly New Orleans, finding jobs as shopkeepers and mechanics, and working to build canals like the New Basin Canal. Many worked for low wages
flowchart of the capitals of Louisiana up to this point.
New Orleans-Donasinville-New Orleans-Baton Rouge
American Party
Party hostile to new immigrants who came to the U.S. and took American jobs • They believed that people who had been in the U.S. a generation or longer should have a greater say in politics than newly arriving immigrants • Believed Democrats exploited immigrants, particularly working- class Germans and Irish, in order to expand their voting base • Because most of the Irish who immigrated to the United States in the Antebellum period were Catholic, members of the American Party were also known to be anti-Catholic
Democratic Party
Supported Andrew Jackson and his "Common Man" philosophy •Primarily cotton farmers from the northern and western regions of Louisiana • Favored smaller government and programs designed to support common people and their interests. • Wary of big businesses, including banks and monopolies, a company that completely controls an industry, making no room for competition. • Preferred widespread political participation rather than a narrow franchise (right to vote) that favored property owners and the wealthy. • Sought a broad franchise with few, if any, requirements for voting, so long as one was a free white man who had reached the age of twenty-one known as Universal White Manhood Suffrage
how did the advancements is cotton and sugar production impact Louisiana's economy?
The advances led to an increased demand for these crops. Louisiana products soon became incredibly popular fueling economic growth in the young state. Louisiana planters could expect to make a 10 percent profit on the money they spent to produce the crops. Thus, they came to be known as cash crops due to their high yield and the money they earned. The increased demand and increased profit inspired many Louisiana farmers to plant more cash crops. Many planters soon switched to growing only one cash crop on their farms, as it was more profitable to grow as much of the same cash crop as the land could manage. A divide soon occurred between planters in Louisiana. Cotton growers could produce larger amounts of product, yielding or making 20percent more on cotton than on sugar crops. This increased the wealth and power cotton planters held in the state.
what other industry grew successful during the Antebellum Era, and where was this most profitable?
the domestic slave trade grew significantly during the Antebellum period. The domestic slave trade relied on the shipment of enslaved individuals within the borders of the United States. This meant that all future slaves had to be born in the United States and traded within its borders. New Orleans, with its increasing importance as the South's largest port, became the hub of the domestic slave trade. The vast majority of slaves who were bought and sold in the United States were transported through the Port of New Orleans.