AGRICULTURAL CHANGES IN THE SOUTH

THE GROWTH OF COTTON Southern Agriculture began to decline after

the American Revolution. Prices for Cash Crops fell. RICE, INDIGO, TOBACCO

PRICES

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Farmers began to rely on cotton to make money!Need for Clothes

PROBLEM:Cotton seeds were

hard to remove by hand and it was a SLOW process.

THE GROWTH OF COTTON

Cotton Gin: Machine for removing seeds from cotton – revolutionized the industry.

THE GROWTH OF COTTON

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COTTON GIN (Click Here)

By 1860, southern states east of the Mississippi River produced 2/3 of all U.S. cotton

Cotton Belt: Land stretching from SC to Texas.

Slave labor demand is going up!!!!

THE COTTON BOOM

THE SOUTHERN ECONOMY

Increased trade in cotton led to growth of port cities Savannah, GA New Orleans, LA Charleston, SC

Transportation Revolution didn’t have a wide enough impact on the South How could they travel? Using What?

Other crops in demand: Corn, Rice, wheat, tobacco, sugarcane.

“COTTON IS KING”

THE SOUTHERN ECONOMY

Southern Factories:Served the needs of farmers

Lumber industry / Rope IndustryMost were built to process crops.

Southerners poured money into the

development of the plantation system, not

southern industry

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SOUTHERN SOCIETY - POPULATION

PlantersWealthiest members of societyOnly 1/3 of population by mid-1800’s

Yeoman (owned small farms) “Middle-Class” Majority of population

Poor-Whites Didn’t own land 10% of population

Free African Americans2% of populationSome became financially successful, but

faced constant discrimination.

SOUTHERN SOCIETY - POPULATION

SOUTHERN SOCIETY - CULTURE Religion was central to social life.

Some southerners used religion to justify slavery – saying God created some people to rule over others.

Urban SouthSimilar to cities in the North –

Industrialized. Slaves did much of the work in cities

Maids, worked in mills, shipyards, ect.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1.) By 1860, cotton had become the most profitable crop in the South. What affect did this have on slaves in the south?

2.) How did the cotton gin affect Southern agriculture?

3.) How was society in the South set-up?