Ch. 13 North and South

South The Southern economy mainly consisted of agriculture. Cotton became king after Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin revolutionized production. Cotton was over half of the US’s total exports during this era.

Agricultural Inventions Two inventions of the 1830s improved development of land and changed farming methods. The steel tipped plow of John Deere allowed tough soil to be cultivated and Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reaper made it easier to harvest large areas.

Pro-Slavery Since most of the South’s economy was based on plantations (large plots of land), many workers were needed. To ensure profits stayed high plantations owners used slaves who were purchased as property and not paid for their work.