1. Cotton Becomes King
Many southerners thought that as the world’s main supplier of cotton they had an invulnerable economic advantage over the North. South Carolina Senator James Hammond summarized it by stating, “Cotton is king. You dare not make war on Cotton! No power on earth dares make war upon it. Cotton is King.”
Why do you think the believers in “King Cotton” may have overestimated the South’s economic advantage?

2. Cotton Becomes King Define: Democracy
Democracy- A govt. in which people rule themselves
Demo/cracy- people rule
Define: Cottonocracy
Cotton/ocracy- Cotton rules
or rule by Cotton

3. Social Structure of the Cotton Kingdom
Because of their wealth & influence they became the political leaders
Only 1 in 40 were planters. Hire overseers to run their farms.
Cottonocracy:
Rich Farmers own at least 20 slaves
Most (75%) white southerners owned no slaves.
Small Farmers:
Majority of whites
Own & work their land, and
maybe own 1 or 2 slaves
Poor Whites: Small group: didn’t own land: rent it: barely make enough to survive
1860: 200,000 living in the South
Free Blacks: Most were descendants of slaves freed during & after the American Revolution. Others bought their freedom. Can’t vote or travel freely. Could be re-enslaved.
Enslaved African Americans: had no rights at all. Make up 1/3rd of the South’s population. Most worked as field hands on cotton plantations. Both men & women worked the fields. A few were skilled workers.