the southern economy and the slave system. cotton belt formed when farmers switched from less...
TRANSCRIPT
THE SOUTHERN ECONOMY
AND THE SLAVE SYSTEM
The Cotton Boom
Cotton belt formed when farmers switched from less profitable crops to cotton
Stretched from South Carolina to Texas 1791: US produced 2 million lbs/year of cotton 1860: 1,650 million lbs/year of cotton
Crop prices fell after the Revolution, so did the demand for slaves
Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin reenergized southern agriculture
Impact: Slavery had been on the decline, but once again increased
Reasons for the Cotton Boom
Advantages of Cotton
Easy to grow Easy to transport Did not spoil
easily Stronger types of
cotton produced by crossbreeding
…This is why cotton became King
Scientific Agriculture
Use of scientific methods to improve crop production
Problem: cotton pulled so many nutrients from the soil, the soil became useless for years
Solution: crop rotation, more research to understand soil chemistry
Cotton Exports
Cotton sent to ports via rivers Major port cities: Charleston, Savanna, New
Orleans Sold cotton to Great Britain and other foreign
countries- Great Britain needed cotton for their booming textile industry
Planters vs Yeomen
Planter: large scale farmer with more than 20 slaves- there were very few planters
Held political and economic power despite small numbers
Yeomen: owned small farms, some held a few slaves, worked in the field
Role of Slaves
Majority worked in fields sunup to sundown
Some worked as butlers, cooks or nurses in the home
Treated better, but worked longer hours Some were skilled laborers- Blacksmiths,
carpenters
Conditions Poor clothing Shoddy
shelter Not allowed
to be educated. Why?
Punishment: whipped, put in the stocks, hanged, detained, put in different devices
How did slaves endure?
Maintaining a sense of culture Religion- spirituals were songs sung to
express religions beliefs Telling folktales- stories with a moral, taught
slaves how to survive under their conditions
Challenges to Slavery
Passive resistance: breaking tools, working slowly, stealing, carelessness
Active resistance: suicide, running away, revolts
Nat Turner’s Rebellion: slaves in VA rose up in 1831 and killed 60 whites. Turner was arrested and executed