Chapter 12: The Old South | America: A Narrative History, Brief 9e: W. W. Norton StudySpace

America: A Narrative History, Brief 9e

In This Chapter

Critical Reading Exercises

"The Distinctiveness of the Old South" (pp. 481–488)

1. Enter Notes: for this section of the exercise, simply note important points.

2. Summarize the passage in your own words.

Answer the following questions related to the reading:

3. Why did the South have a larger percentage of native-born Americans than other regions of the nation in the mid-nineteenth century?

4. According to the textbook author, there was a variety of commitment to the expansion and preservation of Slavery among the southern states. Why is that?

5. In 1812, cotton production was less than 150,000 bales per year. In 1860, America produced nearly 4 million bales of cotton. Explain the factors that contributed to that fact. (Don’t just list the factors—explain how they worked to create that situation of high cotton production.)

"White Society in the South" (pp. 488–493)

1. Enter Notes: for this section of the exercise, simply note important points.

2. Summarize the passage in your own words.

Answer the following questions related to the reading:

3. What characteristics of life separated the planter from the small slaveholder?

4. What group of people made up the largest component of the southern white population and how did they usually make their living?

"Black Society in the South" (pp. 493–506)

1. Enter Notes: for this section of the exercise, simply note important points.

2. Summarize the passage in your own words.

Answer the following questions related to the reading:

3. By 1860, there were approximately 260,000 free African Americans living in the South. What are some of the ways slaves achieved freedom in the first half of the nineteenth century?

4. What were some of the particular experiences and challenges of female slaves?

5. Who led the New Orleans slave revolt of 1811 and what were the outcomes and consequences of that insurrection?

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