Life of Antebellum Southern
Planters
BY: REBECCA LEUNG
Economy of the South
 Exported cash crops such as
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cotton
The South depended on slavery to
raise the cotton
“Cotton is King”
Cotton provided ¾ of the world’s
supply by 1840s
Planters depended on the North
for shipping
Panic of 1837, which dropped
cotton prices, prompted
Southerners to establish closer ties
with the Europeans
The Average Southern Planter
 Lived in farmhouses
 Actually, most planters were not aristocrats. Most were from
humble origins
 Statistics: 50% had fewer than 5 slaves, 72% had fewer than 10, and
88% had fewer than 20
 Most planters used the money they earned to expand their farms
 Enjoyed activities such as hunting; took great value in their sporting
animals
Social Life of a Planter
 Wealthier planters used
money to host balls and
parties
 During these get-togethers
people would have
chances for friendship,
courtship, and display
 Women looked forward to
these parties the most to
break the monotony of
their domestic lives