Cotton BoomCotton Boom• The Cotton Gin made Cotton Gin made

cleaning cotton cleaning cotton more efficientefficient– DesignedDesigned for short-fibered for short-fibered

cottoncotton

• One worker went from One worker went from cleaning 1 lb to 50 lbs a cleaning 1 lb to 50 lbs a dayday

• Made short-fibered cotton a Made short-fibered cotton a commercial productcommercial product– Short-fibered grew all over Short-fibered grew all over

the most of the souththe most of the south

After 1800, cotton rapidly emerged as the country’s most important export crop and quickly became the key to American prosperity.

Effect of the Cotton Engine Effect of the Cotton Engine (“Gin”)(“Gin”)

Cotton moved westward beyond the Cotton moved westward beyond the Atlantic Coast Atlantic Coast - into AL, MS, & eventually

TX

Cotton was so valuable, planters planters grew more of it than any other grew more of it than any other

goodsgoodsCotton exports

increased

Growing cotton required land - Land was taken Land was taken from Native Americans to be used for from Native Americans to be used for

cotton plantationscotton plantationsGrowing cotton required a large work force = required a large work force =

slaveryslavery

Cotton production expanded westward between 1820 and 1860 into Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,

Texas, Arkansas, and western Tennessee forcing Native Americans off their land

• Cotton production roseCotton production rose– 1820 = $22 million from 1820 = $22 million from

cotton exportscotton exports– Late Late 1830’s = 1830’s = close to

$200 million in exports$200 million in exports

• A male field hand sold for A male field hand sold for $300 in 1790$300 in 1790– By 1830, he sold for $1,000By 1830, he sold for $1,000

• 1808 – Foreign slave 1808 – Foreign slave trade made illegaltrade made illegal– Compromise in the

Constitution

• Slavery divided white Slavery divided white southerners southerners

This 1860 view of New Orleans captures the size and This 1860 view of New Orleans captures the size and scale of the cotton trade in the South’s largest city. scale of the cotton trade in the South’s largest city. More than 3,500 steamboats arrived in New Orleans in More than 3,500 steamboats arrived in New Orleans in 1860.1860.

Give Me Liberty!: An American History, 2nd Edition

Copyright © 2007 W.W. Norton & Company

Because slave labor produced the cotton, increasing exports strengthened the slave system itself.

Slavery spread southwestward from the upper South and the eastern seaboard following the spread of cotton cultivation.

Slavery ExpandsSlavery Expands• King CottonKing Cotton: : cotton cotton

became the world’sbecame the world’s main crop main crop produced by slave laborby slave labor• Replaced sugarReplaced sugar

• 3/43/4thsths of the world’s of the world’s cotton supply came cotton supply came from the southern U.S. from the southern U.S.

• Southern cotton Southern cotton supplied Northern supplied Northern textile mills textile mills & those in & those in Great BritainGreat Britain

• After 1840After 1840, cotton , cotton production made the production made the southern economy southern economy stronger & wealthier stronger & wealthier than the north than the north economyeconomy

• Most southern whites did Most southern whites did notnot live in elegant live in elegant mansionsmansions

• AboutAbout 1/3 of whites 1/3 of whites owned slaves owned slaves in 1840in 1840

• Large majority owned Large majority owned fewer than 10 slavesfewer than 10 slaves

• Only Only about 8% of blacks about 8% of blacks in the South were freein the South were free– Most in Washington, D.C. or Most in Washington, D.C. or

BaltimoreBaltimore– Some had to leave their state Some had to leave their state

once freedonce freed

Controlled social, political, and economic life in the southPlanter Elite

Middle Class

Lower Middle Class

Lower Class – Had No Slaves

Slaves

20 or more slaves3% of white pop

75% of white pop.

6-19 slaves9% of white pop.

1-5 slaves13% of white pop.

Controlled social, Controlled social, political, and economic political, and economic life in the southlife in the south

33% of TOTAL pop.

Planter Elite

Middle Class

Lower Middle Class

Lower Class – Had No Slaves

Slaves

20 or more slaves3% of white pop

75% of white pop.

6-19 slaves9% of white pop.

1-5 slaves13% of white pop.

Controlled social, Controlled social, political, and economic political, and economic life in the southlife in the south

33% of TOTAL pop.

Slave LifeSlave Life• Few comforts Few comforts except the except the

bare necessitiesbare necessities

• Laws did not protect did not protect against family against family separationseparation

• ExtendedExtended their culture, culture, fellowship, & communityfellowship, & community– Fused African & American Fused African & American

elements to form new cultureelements to form new culture– Whites used religion to Whites used religion to

control slavescontrol slaves– By 1860, almost all enslaved By 1860, almost all enslaved

were American bornwere American born

• Found Found expression expression through religion & through religion & “spirituals”“spirituals”– Songs like “Go Down Moses” Songs like “Go Down Moses”

& “Wade in the Water”& “Wade in the Water”

Slave Slave RebellionsRebellions• Slaves resisted their Slaves resisted their

work in many wayswork in many ways-- Breaking tools, Breaking tools,

working slow, working slow, feigning illness and feigning illness and injury, running awayinjury, running away

• Nat TurnerNat Turner (1830) – led – led 70 followers before 70 followers before caught & hangedcaught & hanged

• Slave codes were Slave codes were enforced enforced to control to control enslaved peopleenslaved people

– To prevent rebellionTo prevent rebellion

• Some slaves did Some slaves did escape escape & make a better & make a better life for themselveslife for themselves