Chapter 5 1819-1860. Apprentice: a person who lives with a master craftsman to learn a trade (pg....
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Transcript of Chapter 5 1819-1860. Apprentice: a person who lives with a master craftsman to learn a trade (pg....
Chapter 5 1819-1860
Apprentice: a person who lives with a master craftsman to learn a trade (pg. 93)
Rivalry: individuals or groups that compete against one another (pg. 95)
Antebellum: a Latin word meaning before the war (pg.101)
Squatter: someone who settles on property they did not buy or rent (pg. 105)
Arkansas Post
Crude log building
1st Territorial Governor of Arkansas
Did not want to be in Arkansas
Did not arrive in Arkansas for 6 months
1st Territorial secretary and dominant politician during Arkansas during first 10 years
Arrived before appointed governor and took control of the government
Dominant political party in Arkansas for many years
Made up of the Johnson, Rector, Sevier, Conway & Ashley families
All were related either by blood or marriage
Also known as the “Dynasty”
Established 1st Arkansas newspaper at Arkansas Post in 1819
Moved to Little Rock when Territorial government moves to Little Rock in 1821
Established the accepted version of the spelling of “Arkansas”
Became major figure in Arkansas
Newspaper lasted until 1991
Member of the “Family”
Elected as Arkansas’s delegate to U.S. congress in 1827
Replaced Henry Conway as the delegate to the U.S. Congress
Member of the “Family”
Capital moved to more “central” location
In 1833, construction begins on the Old State House
A fight between 2 men in response to an insult
to settle a matter of honor
Crittenden felt he had been insulted during the election of 1827
Challenged Henry Conway to duel
Met at Mississippi River
Exchanged pistol shots at 30 feet
Crittenden wounded Conway, who died three days later
Military Road -Memphis to Little Rock -Supposed to be cleared of trees -Sturdy bridges and 24 feet wide
However, stumps remained until they rotted away and bridges often washed out by floods
Postal service began in 1820’s (every 1 or 2 weeks)
Arrival of the steamboat
The Comet was the 1st steamboat to travel up the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers from New Orleans
Steamer called the Arkansas-built by citizens living along the river
Many would build their homes on the river and watch the steamboats come up the rivers
24 states by 1835- half-free & half-slave
Missouri Compromise brought the new idea that the new states would become states in pairs (1 free & 1 slave)
Michigan had applied for statehood and would be free (MO Compromise). This was the chance for Arkansas to enter as a slave state.
Democratic Party needed help getting votes in the Presidential election to help Martin Van Buren.
Delegates met in January, 1836 to write a state constitution. The issue of slavery was present here also.
Southern counties had large plantations dependent upon slave labor.
Northwestern counties made up of small farms worked by families with few, if any, Slaves.
Slave counties got more representation in the Senate.
Free counties got more representation in the House of Representatives.
Was sent to Washington
Statehood was granted on June 15, 1836.
25th state
Michigan becomes a free state in January, 1837
Arkansas’ 3 electoral votes helped to elect Democrat Van Buren as President
“Family” (or Dynasty) still most powerful group in Arkansas politics
Made up of the Conway, Rector, Sevier, Ashley & Johnson families. All related to each other either through blood or marriage.
Associated with the “Family”
Supporters tended to be small farmers
Poorer class
Led by Absalom Fowler, Albert Pike, David Walker & James Woodson Bates
Supporters were planters, larger farmers & town merchants
Wealthier group
Won most elections for
statewide offices and for
President
James Sevier Conway became the first governor
Archibald Yell was sent to the U.S. House of Representatives
Yell was one of the most popular politicians in Arkansas history
Only white males over 21 could vote
Had to live in Arkansas for at least 6 months
Did not have a formal voter registration
Did not have to be a tax payer to vote
They voted at the county seat
Votes were taken by voice
Won all offices in 1836 election for new state government
Governor James Sevier Conway (brother of Henry W. Conway) was killed in a duel in 1837
U.S. House of Representatives- Archibald Yell, who was very popular
U.S. Senators were William S. Felton & Ambrose Sevier
Did well in 1830’s
Authorized 1st major building project, which was a prison in late 1830’s & 1840’s
The Arkansas capital sits on the site today
Legislature decided to establish 2 state banks
Established to solve the lack of capital problem & because President Jackson had destroyed the Bank of the U.S.
Real Estate Bank
Established in 1837
For planters and large farmers
State Bank
Primarily for merchants
Both banks were financed through a sale of bonds
Both had bad loans & too little security
They issued their own paper money, exceeding the value in gold & silver in the banks
Issued by President Jackson
Stated that the Federal Government would only accept “specie” (gold or silver) as payment for public land
This prompted the Panic of 1837- start of the economic recession
Both banks were forced to close the doors by 1842
State was responsible to pay huge debts
State outlawed banks
Defaulted on debts
We had no state banks and no credit
Indian Removal Act: passed by Congress and President Andrew Jackson
Legalized the forced removal of Indians from their native lands to make way for white settlers
Many tribes refused to leave their land
President Jackson ordered troops to forcibly remove all of the remaining tribes
Herded like cattle and forced to march thousands of miles into Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma)
Many forced to leave without belongings
Women were harassed by soldiers
Many got sick with measles and whooping cough
Most of the money set aside from the government for supplies was never used for the journey
Almost 4,000 Cherokees died along the “Trail of Tears”
Belief that Americans had the right to expand the county from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
Most western lands still owned by Spain
U.S. Leaders realized that someday they might have to fight Mexico for these expansive western lands
Elected Governor in 1840
He called for public education, internal improvements, & financial reform
Passed by General Assembly in 1842
Set aside 16 sections of land in each township for school revenues
These were to be sold and income was to build & operate public schools
It was not a real public school system but did give the people hope & promise
Most schools were still private Parents had to pay tuition for their
children to attend Only the wealthy could afford an
education
Population more than doubled every 10 years
Many were slaves brought to work plantations
Roads were getting better but rivers were still important
Construction began on Little Rock-Memphis
Railroad link in 1850’s but only 2 routes
completed by 1860
Had 6-8 children
Diseases were very common
Only 4-5 might make it to adulthood
The women of Arkansas were having more children than any other state
Yeoman-farmer who owned small plot of land
150 acres average but only 1/3 in crops
Log cabin, often dogtrot style
Members of large families lived together in very close quarters
Major ordeal
Water had to be hauled from the spring or well & heated over the fire
Furniture had to be pushed aside in the crowded room to make space for the washtub
Everyone would use the same water
Out back, away from the well or creek that gave them drinking water, would be a “privy”
A privy is an outdoor toilet
Simply assumed ownership of a piece of land
No survey, no land office near by
Often did not have money to pay for the land
Might be forced to move years later or maybe able to keep the land for generation without having legal title
1840, raised enough corn to feed 2 states the size of AR for a year More cows and hogs than any
other southern state (4 hogs for every person)
Hogs & Hominy were staples of diet
Tobacco (cash crop) sold to buy flour, coffee, nails, and household goods that they couldn’t make themselves
Owned large amounts of land, many slaves, & produced large amounts of cotton
Most lived in river bottoms (very fertile land)
Rivers provide access to market No fancy houses Dominated state- 10% of population
owned about 70% of the wealth of the state
Held 78% of slaves & 63% of the land
90% of Arkansas cotton was grown in 10 Delta counties
Only about 18% of whites owned slaves
1,363 whites owned 20 or more slaves
Only 6 owned 300-400 One man had 500+ Plantations had 10-15 or more slaves
Worked cotton crop Overseer was plantation owner or a member of his family or hired help
Most common form of resistance was to run away
Most were field hands, worked dawn to dusk
Some were blacksmiths, mason, wheel-right (made wheels), or carpenters (worth more that field hands)
Others were servants, cooks, maids, or a nanny
Servants, coachmen, stable boys, laborers, and craftsmen
Owner was total master of the slaves-backed up by local & state customs and laws
Free African Americans were rare (never more than 100)
Religion gave comfort- blend of Christian faith & African traditions in music (spirituals)
Most Arkansans were farmers living in rural areas
Towns did grow as market and trade centers
Every town had hotels, boarding houses, mercantile, doctors, lawyers, dress shops, gun, furniture & shoe stores
Reading groups Debate clubs Concerts Civic groups
(Masons) Magazines Gambling
Most important holiday Except to slaves, who got Christmas off
Churches were the great civilizing force on the frontier
Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Christian, Episcopal, Missionary Baptist, & Catholic
Served as public gathering places for meetings
Founded in 1851 by Sisters of Mercy Oldest continuing school in Arkansas
Rural communities attended “camp meeting” (religious & social event)
Entire community turned out for 10 days to 3 weeks of preaching
Many stayed for entire time---lived in wagons or tents
Gave everyone the opportunity to meet and court (date)
Put everyone on equal footing regardless of age, wealth, gender, or color
Texas Revolution in 1836 (same year as Arkansas became a state)
Many Texas leaders had Arkansas ties
Stephen Austin: Little Rock speculator
James Black: Blacksmith who made Bowie knife
Became the Republic of Texas in 1836 Applied for statehood in 1836 and was
denied Congress annexed Texas in 1845 Mexico had never given up rights to
Texas War began in spring of 1846 with an
exchange of shots along the Rio Grande
James K. Polk asked AR to provide a regiment of mounted infantry to fight in Mexico
Archibald Yell elected colonel of his unit (Yell was a Congressman)
Solon Borland was a major
Arkansas major battle was at Buena Vista, deep in Northern Mexico on Feb. 22-23, 1847
Yell was killed & Borland was captured but escaped
Borland joined Gen. Winfield Scott’s assault on Mexico City
He becomes a hero and next AR senator
James Bowie was a skilled fighter, adventurer, and land speculator
He also became famous for his role in the Texas Revolution
Bowie asked James Black, a blacksmith in Washington (AR), to make him a knife based on a wooden model
Black made a two knives and Bowie chose the one with a long-curved blade
People began calling all big knives “Bowie Knives”
James Black kept making the knives for many years
Took over control when Yell was killed
Became the next Arkansas Governor
__________________________
As soon as war was over, gold was discovered in California—1849 Gold Rush
Forty-Niners: gold hunters who traveled to California in the Gold Rush of 1849
Arkansas grew quickly in population and wealth
Elias Nelson Conway (Governor from 1852-1860) put the state on sound fiscal footing
He got accurate accounting of Real Estate Bank
Left more than $300,000 in gold & silver in the treasury
Vetoed a bill to reduce taxes
Increasing over slavery issue between North and South
Status of slavery in lands obtained from Mexico
Arkansas was going to have to choose a side between North and South