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?

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

Social Structure of the Cotton Kingdom

Cottonocracy:

Rich Farmers own at least 20 slaves

Small Farmers:Majority of whitesOwn & 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

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.

Only 1 in 40 were planters. Hire overseers to run their farms.

Because of their wealth & influence they became the political leaders

1860: 200,000 living in the South

Most (75%) white southerners owned no slaves.