9 - The American Way: Culture of the Old South

•Read LoH 151 (beginning of chapter 18) through 158 (stop after the second paragraph).
•Discuss:
-How did the geography and climate of the South help shape its dependence on plantation agriculture and slavery?
-What risks arose from the South’s reliance on cotton exports as the foundation of its economy?
-In what ways did the Southern social system resemble a feudal hierarchy, and how did this shape attitudes toward class and race?
-How did the pride and self-confidence of Southern planters become both their strength and their downfall?
-How did enslaved people find strength and meaning through religion despite their oppression?
-Why did many (though not all) Southerners see slavery as a God-given institution, and what moral contradictions did this reveal?
•Watch/Listen to the African-American "Spiritual" song, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"
Here are the lyrics:
-Think through the Biblical imagery and the ways these themes connected to life in slavery. Be ready to share your thoughts on Wednesday.