The Agricultural South
1780s
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Most Believed Slavery would eventually die out
 o 1793
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5 Million pounds of cotton produced
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From primarily 3 states
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 o 1820
 170 million pounds of cotton produced
 Western Expansion creates new states
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1840
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60% of America’s exports is cotton

The industry becomes known as “King Cotton” o
1808

Alarmed, Congress bans the overseas slave trade o No new slaves can be brought to America
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Slaves continue to increase in the South

1820:
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1860:
 Slave demand increases their value

1802:
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1860:
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A huge amount of $$
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Economic Consequences

South becomes dependent on one crop o
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Very little commercial growth o o Few immigrants relocate to the South

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Lag behind in urban growth o As population grows in the North they begin to dominate the House Of
Representatives o
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Southern economy does not grow like the North o 2/3 of South’s population are slaves
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 o The South becomes dependent upon the North to supply them with other products
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Cultural Consequences

Plantation economy based upon slavery o Very little emphasis on Education
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 o Slavery dominates society even though only ¼ of the white men held slaves
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 o Why did the majority of Southern society support slavery even though few held slaves?
 Many small farmers hoped that one day they could become a slave owner
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Poor whites took pride in that slaves were always lower in social class than
 they were (unlike poor northern factory workers in the north)