Chapter 4

MS Studies

After 1817 MS developed rapidly.

In 15 years MS needed a new constitution.

1840 most of the NAs had ceded most of their lands to the government and left the state.

40 years after MS became a state, MS was producing more cotton than any other state.

Some of the most wealthy people in America lived in MS,

but slaves also made up half the population and were poorest of the poor.

Poor white people also lived in poverty in the hills.

  1. Politics
  2. Politics force people to take sides and voice their side when they vote.
  3. This affects history forever, b/c elections determine who make decisions of office
  1. The State Capital
  2. In 1798 Natchez was the capital since it was already established, but now official capitol building had been built
  3. Officials met wherever they could find space
  4. In 1802 political rivalry led to the new capital of Washington, 6 miles East of Natchez
  5. No capitol was built
  6. Met in Natchez until 1820
  7. Most Mississippians lived in the Natchez district, but small town farmer, eastern and northern citizens wanted a capital that was closer to them
  8. Also wanted it away from the wealthy influence in Natchez
  9. 1821 it was decided to move the Capital to the center of the state.
  10. They named the town Jackson, in honor of Andrew Jackson who was the hero of the Battle of New Orleans
  11. State legislature met in Jackson for the first time in December of 1822
  12. Jackson remained a small town for decades
  13. 1840s a capitol building was built for legislature and a mansion for the governor
  14. The Mansion still stands, and the old capitol was replaced but still serves as a museum
  15. The Constitution of 1832
  16. Many changes during the early 1800s
  17. The requirement to own property to vote was eliminated
  18. All adult white men could vote
  19. “Era of the Common Man”
  20. Wealth and Education no longer guarantee access to power
  21. People were elected by the poor and uneducated
  22. Andrew Jackson elected President 1828
  23. Inherited no wealth and little formal education
  24. Became a national hero because of his battles with the NAs
  25. Kept most of the 1817 provisions but key changes
  26. Judges were elected and no longer for life
  27. Most state officials became elected
  28. Representation in both houses were based off of population
  29. Banned importing slaves into MS to be sold
  30. Never applied
  31. Slavery was extremely important to the economy and society
  32. But we can see that the issue of slavery was troubling people even at this time
  33. People had different reasons for opposing slavery
  34. Morality of owning people
  35. Fear of uprising
  36. Social class split
  37. Local Government
  38. Although state government was important, county government met most of the people’s needs
  39. After 1832 an elected board of police governed each county
  40. Levied taxes for operation an special taxes for jails, courthouses and to help the poor
  41. Supervisors to maintain roads and bridges
  42. Approved who could operate hotels, run ferries or sell alcohol and set prices
  43. Often paid school tuition for poor children
  44. Operated public schools which were available to all white children
  45. Sheriffs enforced laws
  46. Elected county officials were very responsive to the wishes of county voters.
  1. Acquisition of Native American land
  2. The Rapid growth of MS was due to the removal of the NAs
  3. This showed the greed of the white man and uncaring attitude toward NAs
  1. Assimilation
  2. Whites pushed west, tension increased
  3. Federal government pursued the idea of Assimilation
  4. Idea of NAs relying more on farming and less on hunting and co-exist with settlers
  5. Most NAs did not want to change their lifestyle
  6. By the war of 1812 the U.S. gave up the policy of Assimilation
  7. Fear of NAs siding with British or Spanish
  8. The Creek in Alabama joined Shawnee chief Tecumseh when they tried to unite various tribes to resist white settlers
  9. Pushmataha of the Choctaw persuaded his people not to join
  10. The united resistance ended as soon as Tecumseh was killed
  11. Land Speculators, Settlers and squatters all wanted NAs to move west of the MS
  12. To help this the federal Gov negotiated a series of treaties, which eventually required the Choctaw and Chickasaw to leave MS
  13. Federal Treaties with NA tribes
  14. When the French first arrived in MS there had been many NA nations
  15. By 1783 only the Choctaw and Chickasaw remained
  16. 5 major treaties with the NAs
  17. 1801 Treaty of Fort Adams
  18. U.S. received almost 3 million acres of land and the right to build the Natchez trace
  19. The Choctaw received several thousand $ worth of merchandise and the promise that non-NAs would be removed from Indian lands
  20. The promise was not kept
  21. Treaty of Mount Dexter 1805
  22. Gave the U.S. over 4 million acres in S. MS
  23. Gave NAs cancellation of debts and the annual pensions of NA leaders
  24. People still fear uprisings, and demanded NAs be under state law
  25. Treaty of Doak’s Stand 1820
  26. U.S. got 5 million acres including the area Jackson is located.
  27. Choctaw were promised land West of the MS
  28. Land turned out to be bad and already settled by whites so NA leaders went to Washington to renegotiate
  29. A new agreement was made, but Choctaws refused to leave MS
  30. Treaty of Dancing Rabbit 1830
  31. U.S. received the rest of MS, 10 million acres
  32. Choctaw agreed to move to Oklahoma
  33. Choctaws numbered 18,000 Indians, several hundred whites, and 500 black slaves
  34. Allowed NAs to stay if they registered with Gov
  35. Treaty of Pontotoc Creek 1832
  36. U.S. got North MS
  37. Chickasaw moved west
  38. Trail of Tears
  39. b/c of the number of people who died along the way
  40. Some tribes fought removal, such as the Seminoles in the Florida everglades
  41. Some Choctaw moved back to MS, by 1860 about 1000 Choctaws in MS
  42. Early 1900s the federal government established the present reservation in Neshoba County and permitted tribal government
  1. Slavery in MS
  2. Both NAs and Africans were mistreated in the early settlement and building of MS
  3. NAs were removed from their homes, while Africans were removed from their homes and forced to be slaves.
  4. It took several generations before the they achieved their freedom.
  1. The black code
  2. French were the first to bring slaves to MS.
  3. Not long after they were first brought here, there were so many slaves that laws needed to be passed
  4. French Governor Bienville issued a series of laws called the Black Code (1724)
  5. These applied only to blacks and covered every aspect of society
  6. Slaves were only given a few rights
  7. Marriage, owning property, travel, and gathering in groups were all very restricted
  8. Attempts to escape or resistance to white authority were punished cruelly.
  9. It did allow some protection for slaves
  10. When owners sold slaves, they could not separate husbands from wives or children under 14 from their parents
  11. Owners could not mistreat or free them when they grew old or sick, which would leave them helpless
  12. Could not be forced to work on Sundays or religious holidays
  13. A freed slave received all of the privileges of any free citizen.
  14. French Natchez prospered partly because of slave labor
  15. Cleared land, grew tobacco, and indigo
  16. Some slaves did help the Natchez Indians destroy the fort in 1729
  17. French used black troops both saved and free in battles with Chickasaw and Natchez
  18. At the American revolution about 1 out of 5 people were black.
  19. During the revolution more came with their British Masters who were fleeing
  20. By the time the Spanish had control it was close to 40% black
  21. Cotton production and slave labor
  22. Agriculture and Production of lumber products were the main occupation for slaves.
  23. Spanish encouraged production of tobacco and indigo
  24. Both were hard on soil and yielded less and less
  25. Farmers began turning to cotton
  26. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793
  27. Daniel Clarke gave the sketches of the cotton gin to his slaves one named Barclay
  28. The first one was designed in MS
  29. Cotton became “King Cotton”
  30. Men began experimenting with cotton to make it the best
  31. Men from Warren County developed the Petit Gulf Cotton, the most productive in MS
  32. Most whites raised cotton and corn using their family labor and maybe a few slaves
  33. Most cotton was grown on large plantations or farms
  34. Slaves were most concentrated in areas where cotton was grown
  35. In 1860 less than 9% of the whites had slaves.
  36. Half of those owned 1-5 slaves
  37. 19 had more than 300 slaves
  38. Working and living conditions
  39. All types of work but mostly involved with cotton production
  40. Jobs from crops, cooked, cleaned house, tend livestock, made clothes, and tended small children
  41. Slaves were often hired out to other plantations or townspeople and could eventually earn enough money to buy freedom
  42. The slave community
  43. Slave Resistance
  44. Free Blacks
  45. Not all blacks in MS were slaves
  46. Most free slaves lived in towns like Natchez and Vicksburg with many different jobs
  47. Most prominent free black was William Johnson of Natchez was a barber who owned town lots, a farm and slaves.
  48. Free blacks had lots of restrictions
  49. Had to leave the state unless approved by the board of police
  50. People feared if free blacks stayed they could organize a slave revolt.
  1. Antebellum MS Society
  2. Economy
  3. Depression 1837-1841
  4. Federal Gov. took back lands that were bought by credit and was foreclosed on.
  5. Cotton prices tumbled
  6. Lost public school funds that were invested.
  7. Transportation
  8. Slow and difficult
  9. Maybe pull a wagon 20 miles a day
  10. Steamboats travelled up and down the river systems carrying cotton
  11. RRs finally helped land travel
  12. Went through the state connecting people and resources.
  13. Education
  14. Developed slowly b/c most counties couldn’t spend a lot of money
  15. Parents who were able, paid tuition
  16. 1860 over 30,000 white kids, no schools for black children
  17. Less than 1/3 of population
  18. Rarely lasted more than 3 months
  19. Basics reading writing arithmetic
  20. Universities were responsibilities of private and religious orgs.
  21. MS College began as Hampstead Academy 1829, in 1850 it became a Baptist College.
  22. University of MS established in 1840 but didn’t begin operation until 1848
  23. Closed during Civil War
  24. Religion
  25. Mississippians are considered to be religious.
  26. Many denominations Methodists and Baptists were the biggest
  27. Many local churches had both black and white members.