1. The South’s Economy

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. COTTON GIN
LIST 3 ADVANTAGES
LIST 2 CONSEQUENCES

9. 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?

10. 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