Overview
This lecture examines the central role of cotton in the antebellum Southern economy, the reliance on enslaved labor, and the integration of cotton into national and global markets.
The Rise of Cotton in the South
- Cotton became the South’s dominant cash crop by 1860, surpassing tobacco, rice, and sugar.
- Eli Whitney’s 1793 invention of the cotton gin drastically increased cotton processing efficiency.
- By 1860, the South produced two-thirds of the world’s cotton, fueling demand in both the U.S. and Britain.
Labor-Intensive Cotton Production
- Enslaved people cleared land, planted, tended, and harvested cotton, often under brutal conditions.
- A "good hand" was expected to work ten acres and harvest 200 pounds of cotton per day.
- The cotton gin allowed one worker to clean 50 pounds of cotton daily, versus 1 pound by hand.
Expansion and Forced Migration
- Cotton’s profitability led to expansion westward, with enslaved people forced from the Upper South to new territories.
- The phrase "sold down the river" described the forced migration of enslaved people to the Deep South for cotton cultivation.
Domestic Slave Trade
- After the 1808 ban on importing slaves, demand for enslaved labor led to a massive internal slave trade.
- Upper South states like Virginia and Maryland sold enslaved people to the Deep South, causing large-scale family separations.
- New Orleans became the nation’s largest slave market due to cotton’s economic importance.
Cotton and the Southern Economy
- Cotton was easily stored, transported, and in high demand by textile mills in the North and Britain.
- Steamboats and ports like New Orleans facilitated massive cotton exports; by 1840, New Orleans had 12% of U.S. banking capital.
- The Southern economy depended heavily on cotton exports, enslaved labor, and imports from Northern and Western states.
Cotton’s Global Impact
- About 75% of U.S. cotton was exported, mainly to Britain, making the nation the world leader in cotton production.
- The South’s reliance on cotton created economic ties and dependencies with both the North and Europe.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Cotton gin — machine invented by Eli Whitney to separate cotton fibers from seeds quickly.
- Cash crop — a crop grown primarily for sale rather than for the farmer’s use.
- Petit Gulf cotton — a hybrid cotton variety that dominated Southern cotton production.
- Domestic slave trade — buying and selling of enslaved people within the United States after the foreign slave trade was banned.
- Steamboat — steam-powered vessel crucial for transporting cotton and goods on U.S. rivers.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Reflect on Solomon Northup’s narrative about the experience of being enslaved.
- Consider the economic and human consequences of the internal slave trade.
- Prepare for questions comparing the antebellum Southern economy with other regions.