Relationship Between Slavery And Cotton
In many high schools, slavery is often a subject that is glanced over and mildly talked about. However, cotton and cotton-related inventions, such as the cotton gin, are the themes of many class lectures. It is wrongful not to explore and debate the relation between slavery and cotton in the South. It has been proven time and time again that the two are not mutually exclusive; the cotton industry directly--and indirectly--influenced slavery through purely its numbers, high demands, the “American Dream,” and the Civil War.
We must first look at the numbers and correlations between the population of slaves and production of cotton. There were 250,000 slaves in 1754, before some of the first seeds of rebellion were planted. In 1770, there were …show more content…
However, the cotton gin was created in 1793 by a plantation owner’s slave. This made cotton production much more efficient. At the same time, cotton cloth became highly sought after by both the aristocrats and the common people in places like England and France. Because of this, more slaves were being used to harvest the coveted cotton. While the number of slaves could have been higher, the cotton gin and conditions of the economy created an economy that could exploit the people that only counted as ⅗ of a citizen. Because of the demand and treatment of slaves, white plantation owners could create a booming market full of prejudice and …show more content…
Preservation of slavery in the South was what prompted the Confederacy to secede. While slaves labored over cotton during the 1860s, they were supposedly being paid $10 per month to work as a servant. While this was originally created so that the northern states weren’t overrun with black refugees, this made the freed men and women want to stay to earn money for the first time in their lives. This created an apparent increase in both cotton production and slaves--cotton increasing by 200%. These people are still referred to as slaves because evidence shows that at least two-thirds of them never even received their compensation. The Civil War’s influence on slavery is a difficult subject, but it is still proof that the cotton industry affected
We must first look at the numbers and correlations between the population of slaves and production of cotton. There were 250,000 slaves in 1754, before some of the first seeds of rebellion were planted. In 1770, there were …show more content…
However, the cotton gin was created in 1793 by a plantation owner’s slave. This made cotton production much more efficient. At the same time, cotton cloth became highly sought after by both the aristocrats and the common people in places like England and France. Because of this, more slaves were being used to harvest the coveted cotton. While the number of slaves could have been higher, the cotton gin and conditions of the economy created an economy that could exploit the people that only counted as ⅗ of a citizen. Because of the demand and treatment of slaves, white plantation owners could create a booming market full of prejudice and …show more content…
Preservation of slavery in the South was what prompted the Confederacy to secede. While slaves labored over cotton during the 1860s, they were supposedly being paid $10 per month to work as a servant. While this was originally created so that the northern states weren’t overrun with black refugees, this made the freed men and women want to stay to earn money for the first time in their lives. This created an apparent increase in both cotton production and slaves--cotton increasing by 200%. These people are still referred to as slaves because evidence shows that at least two-thirds of them never even received their compensation. The Civil War’s influence on slavery is a difficult subject, but it is still proof that the cotton industry affected