The Planter Class

The planter class of the South, encased about 3% of all white families. This small percentage of white families typically had large plantations, therefore owning more slaves to work it. They typically owned 20 or more slaves, with the largest known plantation having over 1,000 slaves reportedly. Of this class there were only 1% that were the wealthy, and they tended to protect their wealth as best as they could. They often intermarried from other planter families to protect their lands and wealth from dispersion. This as with the European elite, tied the families and their wealth together, securing their resources as well as power. Combined the planter class owned about 75% of the slave population most working in the cotton industry. Planter
The resistance of slaves to slavery came in many forms. The most common and easiest for the slaves was to act like they were unable to understand the task or fake sickness. This slowed the task down and allowed them to work less. The white masters sure of their superiority did not question this and took it at face value. Another form of resistance was to purposely damage material and equipment so the task could not be finished. The most dangerous to the slave was to run away. Whether for a short period of time to visit loved ones or an attempt to flee slavery itself, the slave had the risk of being returned, punished, or killed. The Underground Railroad, a connected safe havens ran by people who did not support slavery and were willing to take the risk of hiding the slave from those that persuaded them. It was created to help slaves get to freedom in Canada. These railroads had many “conductors’ one of which was Harriet Tubman, who made the return trip 20 times to lead slaves to freedom. She deterred the idea of anyone getting cold feet and returning with a threats to kill them, because they could cause the whole underground network to be
The South was growing but not in a way that could make it self-sustaining. It has no industry outside of agricultural based. The economy was based in the cotton and the slaves to work it. They needed the North for all the other supplies and aspects of business. Since the banks that financed the planters as well as the transportation to export the crop out of America, were located in the North, the South could not conduct business without them. Furthering their need for the North, the goods and materials that were imported for use in the home, came from the Northern ports and industries. So on top of the planters owing money for debts to the North they also had to share in the profits with the North by involving them in the export of the cotton they produced. The cotton gin and cotton production as a cash crop, also had a role to play in the problem of slavery and the spread to the Southwest. Slavery was carried there by the planters that needed new lands and slaves to work them to produce cotton. This new land was found in the Southwest. Since planters purchased slaves to work the lands when they relocated the slaves, of course, were taken with them as well as the plantation system that they held dear. This influx of money, political power, and social standing, made the planters the ruling class in the