Cotton Boom The cotton gin to made cleaning cotton more efficient The cotton gin to made cleaning cotton more efficient – Designed for short-fibered cotton.

Cotton BoomCotton Boom

• The cotton gin to made The cotton gin to made cleaning cotton more 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 Engine Effect of the Engine (“Gin”)(“Gin”)

Cotton moved westward beyond the Atlantic coast and into AL, MS and

eventually TX

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

goodsCotton exports

increased

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

cotton plantationsGrowing cotton required a large work force =

slavery

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 = close to 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 is made illegaltrade is made illegal

• 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: : cottoncotton

became the became the world’sworld’s major crop produced major crop produced by slave laborby slave labor• Replaced sugarReplaced sugar

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

• Southern cotton Southern cotton supplied the Northern supplied the Northern textile mills textile mills and those and those in Great Britain.in Great Britain.

• After 1840After 1840, cotton , cotton production made the production made the southern economy southern economy stronger and stronger and wealthier than the wealthier than the north north economy.economy.

• Most southern whites did Most southern whites did not live in elegant not 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 lived in Washington, Most lived in Washington,

D.C. or BaltimoreD.C. or Baltimore– Some had to leave their state Some had to leave their state

once freedonce freed

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, political, and economic life in the south

33% of TOTAL pop.

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, political, and economic life 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 Laws did not protect against family against family separationseparation

• ExtendedExtended theirtheir 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 & the through religion & the “spiritual”“spiritual”– Songs like “Go Down Moses” Songs like “Go Down Moses”

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

Slave RebellionsSlave Rebellions• Slaves resisted their Slaves resisted their

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

slow, feigning illness slow, feigning illness and injury, running and injury, running awayaway

• Nat Turner, 1830 – led Nat Turner, 1830 – led 70 followers before 70 followers before caught and hangedcaught and hanged

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

– Aimed to prevent Aimed to prevent rebellionrebellion

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