The South’s Economy

Main Ideas Settlement expands in the South Economy of the South relies on agriculture Cotton was vital to the economy of the South South’s population consisted of wealthy slaveholding planters, small farmers, poor whites, and slaves Slaves maintain strong family and culture ties and learn to adapt to life on the plantations

Rise of the Cotton Kingdom 1790 South was underdeveloped agriculturally Struggling economy Most people live in the Upper South Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina 1850 Population moves into the Deep South - Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas Economy of the South flourishes (booms) Slavery becomes very important in the South - Diminishes in the North

Cotton Rules the Deep South Before 1820s, rice, indigo, and tobacco make up South’s main crops After Revolution, demand for these crops decreases Demand for cotton increases Time and extensive labor to produce Cotton fibers had to be separated from the plant’s sticky seeds

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin 1793: Invention of Cotton Gin revolutionizes cotton production Cotton Gin was a machine that removes seeds from cotton fibers Increases amount of cotton that could be processed in a shorter time In 1 day, a worker could clean 1 pound of cotton by hand With the cotton gin, a worker could clean 50 pounds Cotton Gin was small and easy to transport

3 1 4 2 The Cotton Gin Assignment: Draw a picture of the Cotton Gin showing how the process works. Make sure to label what each part of the Cotton Gin does: 1. Cotton bolls are dumped into the hopper 2. Hand crank turns a cylinder with wire teeth to pull the cotton past a grate 3. Slots in the grate allow the cotton, but not its seeds to pass through 4. Second cylinder with brushes pulls the cotton off the toothed cylinder and sends it out of the gin 3 1 4 2

Cotton Gin Pros (+) Easy to Transport Lots of cotton done quickly and easily Cons (-) Demand for more workers Farmers need to grow more cotton quickly Plantation owners rely on slaves to plant and pick the cotton Demand for slaves increases

COTTON GIN LIST 3 ADVANTAGES LIST 2 CONSEQUENCES

Different Economies by 1860 Northern states and Southern states have very different economies South remains rural, North goes industrial Both Upper South and Deep South rely on agriculture Upper South Tobacco, Hemp, Wheat, Vegetables Center for the sale and transport of slaves Deep South Cotton, Cotton, Cotton Some places had a little rice and sugarcane Value of slaves increases as the demand for cotton increases Why?

Industry in the South Economy of the South prospers between 1820 and 1860 Cotton Production as a percentage of U.S. Exports increases 1800: 7.1% 1820: 32% 1840: 51.6% 1860: 57.5% South accounts for a small percentage of the nation’s manufacturing value by 1860 Less than the state of Pennsylvania Barriers to Industry 1. South dependent on growing cotton Profitable Less worried about starting new businesses 2. Lack of capital (money to invest) Money to invest in businesses Southerners had their money invested in lands and slaves Unwilling to sell slaves to raise money for factories Slavery was prosperous and would continue to be 3. Small need for markets in the South Large portion of the population was slaves Slaves didn’t have money to buy merchandise