THE LIFE OF A SOUTHERNER

Southern white society
♦︎Few southerners actually owned slaves
♦︎less than 1/4 of the population
♦︎and a smaller number of slaveowners owned a substantial number of slaves

THREE TYPES OF "CLASSES"

• The Planter Class
• The "Southern Lady"
• The Plain Folk

THE PLANTER CLASS

• South became dominated by wealthy slave owners due to this class
• Liked to compare their class to old English aristocracies
• Upper south area families had positions of wealth
• The rest of the South were 1st gen settlers

Growing staple crops was a tough business, so planters were just as competitive as the industrialists in the North. Most planters invested their wealth in land and slaves, and tended to move frequently.

THE SOUTHERN LADY

• Very similar to middle class women in the North
• Centered the home
• White men were more dominant in the South
• Lived on farms without access to the social world
• Main focus was becoming suitable wives

THE PLAIN FOLK

• Typical southerner was a yeoman farmer
• Owned few slaves that they were close to
• Usually couldn't produce enough to get out of debt
• One reason is education