Rise And Fall of the Slave South (Fall 2006)

University of Virginia
Tag cloud for these 10 episodes
African-Americans Agriculture Church/Religious-Activity Crime/Violence Economy Health/Death Migration/Transportation Race-Relations Slavery Urban-Life/Boosterism

Episodes

  1. The Execution of Captain Henry Wirz
    date November 10, 1865map Washington City, District of Columbiatags Crime/Violence, Health/Death

    Captain Henry Wirz came to America from Switzerland in 1849. He settled in Louisiana and worked as a doctor to slaves on a plantation. At the beginning of the Civil War, he joined the Fourth Louisiana Infantry and fought for about a year before he was wounded and lost most of the use of his right arm. Since he could not fight, the army reassigned him to work at a couple of prisons and he eventually...

  2. Report On Levee Breach in New Orleans
    date May 7, 1816map ORLEANS, Louisianatags Economy, Migration/Transportation, Urban-Life/Boosterism

    On a Monday morning at 3 a.m., a breach in the levee allowed rushing waters to flood New Orleans. Within two days, the breach had expanded to be at least an acre in width. The areas initially most affected by the waters were the Cyprus swamp and St. John's Bayou. However, the waters were continuing to flow into the city, and it was predicted that by the time the flood waters stopped rising, the...

  3. 409 Slaves from Africa arrive in Georgia
    date 1858map GLYNN, Georgiatags Crime/Violence, Economy, Migration/Transportation, Slavery

    In 1798, Georgia banned involvement in the Atlantic Slave trade, followed a decade later by a nationwide ban. The Constitution had required the ban when signed, and Congress put it into effect on January 1, 1808. As the Hon. Joshua Giddings announced in a speech to the House of Representatives, “the United States;pronounced the African slave trade to be piracy, and those who followed that vocation...

  4. Southern Commercial Convention
    date May 12, 1858 to May 15, 1858map MONTGOMERY, Alabamatags Economy, Slavery

    In the 1830s, the South was increasingly aware of the North's industrial dominance. Commercial conventions emerged as a way to close this gap. The first meetings focused on single, specific issues such as direct trade with Europe or railroad construction. Later, the conventions would address a wide range of economic concerns. In 1858, Montgomery, Alabama hosted the Southern Commercial Convention....

  5. Edgefield Anti-Tariff group meets.
    date July 2, 1827map EDGEFIELD, South Carolinatags Economy

    In early July, the spark of nullification struck Edgefield County and throughout the state of South Carolina. Citizens of the community met to discuss as the Charleston News and Courier put it: “A Memorial to Congress against the imposition of additional duties upon the importation of woolens.' Jesse Blocks was named Chair and F.H. Wardlaw Esq. was elected Secretary. Their statement was written...

  6. Tobacco booms in Missouri.
    date April 24, 1827map ST LOUIS, Missouritags Agriculture, Economy

    The expansion of slavery into Missouri had almost led to a Civil War in 1820, seven years later Northerners worst fears were confirmed with a report by Missouri leaders. The St. Louis Enquirer published an article that would soon be republished throughout the South trumpeting the success of tobacco crops in the newest slave state. The soil of Missouri was considered by planters of Maryland and Virginia...

  7. Baton Rouge establishes a colored church
    date 1858map EAST BATON ROUG, Louisianatags African-Americans, Church/Religious-Activity, Race-Relations, Slavery

    After receiving a petition by Baton Rouge citizens, the local government established a colored church and hired a black Methodist preacher, George Menard, to lead the church. Besides encouraging this and other black churches, townsmen even permitted blacks to attend white churches. Although the Black Code in Baton Rouge seemed to impress a harsh code of conduct, the authorities rarely enforced these...

  8. Work started in Maryland on the Baltimore-Ohio Railroad.
    date July 4, 1828 to January 1, 1853map BALTIMORE, Marylandtags Economy

    On July 4th, 1828 construction began in Baltimore, Maryland to build one of the first railroad lines in the United States. It was a massive project proposal that took many months of negotiations between the Maryland State legislature and the Chesapeake Company. The Maryland Gazette, based in Annapolis Maryland, reported that the cost of the operation to be in the range of five hundred to seven hundred...

  9. State vs. Oscar decided
    date 1858map EAST BATON ROUG, Louisianatags African-Americans, Crime/Violence, Slavery

    During the decades before the Civil War, Louisiana began using special tribunals to try slaves accused of violent crimes. State vs. Oscar is just one example of a case using such a tribunal, where Oscar, a slave, was on trial for the rape of a young white girl. Oscar was tried in a regular court, but his appeal went to a special tribunal. The tribunal upheld his guilty verdict, and he was subsequently...

  10. First Transatlantic Telegram
    date 1857 to August 16, 1858map WASHINGTON, Virginiatags Economy, Migration/Transportation

    Following the success of a New York-Newfoundland telegraph line, philanthropist Cyrus Field convinced the governments of American and Great Britain to fund a transatlantic line. It would take 2,500 miles of cable to complete the job, and construction was interrupted often by errors. Cables snapped, ships wrecked, and money was running out. Meanwhile, the American South was watching the progress...

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