CHAPTER 4 • SECTION 2
Because most plantations were largely self-sufficient, large urban centers
were unnecessary in the South. The port city of Charles Town (later called
Charleston) in South Carolina was an early exception.
The Planter Class The owners of the plantations were considered the elite
of this society. In the early colonies, this class was drawn from the noble
families of the south and west of England.
The planter class was relatively small compared to the rest of the population. However, they soon gained control of political and economic power
in the South. A foreign traveler in the South commented that the planters
“think and act precisely as do the nobility in other countries.”
The planters formed the highest level of a class system that included large
numbers of poor freemen, indentured servants, and slaves. The social system
in the South was dramatically different from New England, where numerous middle-class families had settled. In the South, tension between social
groups led to a major conflict in the late 17th century.
More About . . .
Charles Town
Charles Town, now Charleston, was the
capital of South Carolina until 1790. Named
for Charles II, it is located on the Ashley
River. The city was first settled in 1670. Ten
years later it was moved to its current site,
on the peninsula on the opposite side of the
river from the original site. The new location
of the city left it vulnerable to the sea.
Numerous hurricanes have battered the city,
and in 1718, Blackbeard and other pirates
blockaded the city until fleets from Virginia
and South Carolina stopped them. Charles
Town became a major trade and social
center in the south. It was an attractive and
cosmopolitan city, and many of the wealthy
built houses there to enjoy the social life.
Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 The desire for land and wealth had drawn setJamestown: N. Bacon,
1676 by Howard Pyle
More About . . .
Nathaniel Bacon
Robert Beverly was a plantation owner
and an ally of Governor Berkeley. Beverly
wrote the following description of Nathaniel
Bacon: “This gentleman had been brought
up at one of the Inns of Court in England,
and had a moderate fortune. He was
young, bold, active, of an inviting aspect,
and powerful elocution. In a word, he was
every way qualified to head a giddy and
unthinking multitude.”
tlers to America, so it is not surprising that many of the early conflicts in the
South were over land. By the 1670s many indentured servants had completed their service and
demanded land. Because the wealthy planters controlled the Tidewater region, these poorer freemen
were forced into the western frontier, where they
battled Native Americans for land.
Nathaniel Bacon and a group of landless frontier
settlers were already angry with Virginia Governor
William Berkeley. They complained about high
taxes and Governor Berkeley’s favoritism toward
large plantation owners. Bacon demanded that
Berkeley help defend frontier settlements against
Native Americans. Berkeley’s refusal of Bacon’s
demand sparked Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676.
Bacon entered Jamestown, took control of the
House of Burgesses, and burned Jamestown to
the ground. However, Bacon’s sudden illness and
death ended the rebellion. Berkeley hanged 23 of
Bacon’s followers. Angered by Berkeley’s actions,
King Charles II recalled the governor to England.
Afterwards, the House of Burgesses passed laws
to prevent a royal governor from assuming such
power again. The burgesses had taken an important step against tyranny.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST Explain what tensions
developed between Tidewater and frontier.
Answer: The frontier settlers resented the
rich planters of the coast and their control of
government.
The Inns of Court are four societies in
London made up of practitioners and
students of law. Students must belong to
one of these societies in order to become
a barrister.
The societies have existed since medieval
times. The four Inns—Gray’s Inn, Lincoln’s
Inn, Middle Temple, and Inner Temple
—each retain their own unique traditions,
though they are all equally ranked.
104 Chapter 4
INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES
CONNECT
104 • Chapter 4
to Language Arts
CONNECT
to Language Arts
Newspaper Report of Rebellion
Write Bacon’s Persuasive Speech
Have students work in small groups to put
together a newspaper spread about Bacon’s
Rebellion. They should include at least two news
reports of what happened and two editorials
offering different viewpoints on the event. The
page should also include headlines, pictures
with captions, and any other elements that
convey information about Bacon’s Rebellion.
Display completed newspapers on a bulletin
board in the classroom or hallway.
Read or play audio versions of historical
persuasive speeches for students. Discuss
characteristics that make them effective.
Point out elements of the speech itself, such
as parallel structure or repetition, as well as
techniques used by the speaker, such as shifts
in volume or pace. Then have students work
individually to write and deliver a persuasive
speech that Nathaniel Bacon might have
delivered to garner support for his cause.
The Search for Cheap Labor
COMPARING Slave Populations
Planters Turn to Slavery At first planters tried
Percentage of Population
KEY QUESTION Why did planters turn to slavery?
In the early Southern Colonies, there were few
Africans, either enslaved or free. In 1665, fewer
than 500 Africans had been brought into Virginia. At that time, African and European indentured servants worked in the fields together.
In the 1660s, the labor system began to change
as indentured white servants left the plantations.
Their terms of service were finished, and many
moved west in order to buy their own farms. At
the same time, fewer European laborers were
emigrating to the Southern Colonies. Landowners had to find another source of labor.
CHAPTER 4 • SECTION 2
40
30
Teach
20
The Search for Cheap Labor
10
0
1650
South
1670
1690
1710
1730
1750
New England and Middle Colonies
Source: Fogel and Engerman, Time on the Cross,1974
CRITICAL VIEWING Analyze Charts What percentage
of the population was enslaved in the South in 1710?
to enslave Native Americans. But many Native
Americans either died of diseases brought by
Europeans or were able to escape into the forests that they knew so well.
To meet their labor needs, the planters turned to enslaved Africans. As
a result, the enslaved population grew rapidly. By 1750, there were over
235,000 enslaved Africans in America. About 68 percent lived in the Southern Colonies. By 1750 enslaved Africans made up about 40 percent of the
South’s population.
As the slave population increased, laws were passed to define slavery and
to control the growing numbers of people being held against their will. Local
militia patrolled the countryside to check that any traveling Africans were
carrying passes. Slave quarters were checked regularly for weapons.
Living in Slavery On large Southern plantations, slaves usually toiled in
overseers. Overseers were
groups of about 20 to 25 under the supervision of overseers
people who watched over and directed the work of others. Enslaved people
performed strenuous and exhausting work, often for 15 hours a day at the
peak of the harvest season. If slaves did not appear to be doing their full
share of work, they were often whipped by the overseer. If they defied their
masters, they could be tortured or mutilated.
Enslaved people usually lived in small, one-room cabins with straw for
bedding. For a week’s food, a slave might receive only around a quarter
bushel of cornmeal and around 3 pounds of pork. Some planters allowed
their slaves to raise their own food.
In spite of the brutal living conditions, Africans preserved many customs
and beliefs from their homelands. These included music, dances, stories,
and, for a time, African religions—including Islam. African kinship customs
became the basis of African-American family culture.
CAUSES AND EFFECTS Explain why planters turned to slavery.
Think, Pair, Share
• What caused a shortage of workers in the
1660s? (White indentured servants finished
their terms of service, and fewer laborers
were moving to the Southern Colonies.)
• How did the growing number of enslaved
people affect Southern law? (Laws were
passed to define slavery and to control slaves.
Militia helped enforce the laws.)
• Compare and Contrast Why were
planters unsuccessful in enslaving Native
Americans? (Many Native Americans died of
diseases brought by Europeans. They were
also able to escape and stay hidden because
they knew the land well.)
COMPARING Slave Populations
Answer: Landowners
needed cheap labor;
they could not find
enough indentured
white servants.
ANALYZE Ask students to write a
paragraph explaining reasons for the huge
increase in the number of imported slaves
between 1701 and 1810. (Possible Answers:
The Southern colonial economy depended
on slave labor; white indentured servants
finished service and left plantations;
enslaved Native Americans died or escaped;
planters turned to enslaved Africans to meet
the high demand for labor on Southern
plantations.)
CRITICAL VIEWING ANSWER
Analyze Charts about 24 percent
The Colonies Develop 105
More About . . .
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
Living in Slavery
English Learners
Pre-AP
Vocabulary: Idioms
Population Graph
Draw students’ attention to the sentence
on p. 105 in their textbooks that reads,
“By 1750 enslaved Africans made
up about 40 percent of the South’s
population.” Point out the idiom “made
up” and explain that this phrase has
more than one meaning. In this case,
it means “formed.” Have students
brainstorm the idiom’s various other
meanings.
Have students use the figures in the
“Planters Turn to Slavery” section on
p. 105 of their textbooks to determine
approximately how many enslaved
Africans lived in the Southern Colonies
in 1750. (about 160,000) Challenge
students to research the population of
the Southern Colonies in 1750. (499,375)
Then have them create a bar graph
comparing the number of enslaved
Africans to the rest of the population.
By the 1800s, most colonists lived in houses
made of brick or wood, while slaves lived in
rough shacks. To save money, the owners
gave slaves the cheapest cloth—called
Negro cloth—to make their clothes.
Slaves ate corn, rice, beans, salt pork, and
molasses. They used these ingredients to
make foods that resembled foods they
had known in Africa. Hoecakes, mush, and
spoon bread are foods made by slaves that
entered the white Southern diet.
Unit 2 Resource Book
• American Literature, pp. 116–120
Teacher’s Edition • 105