USA HISTORY

LIFE IN ANTEBELLUM AMERICA 1807 1861

SLAVERY IN AMERICA COTTON SLAVE TRADE AND THE SOUTHERN RESPONSE

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
How was slavery in the South connected to the Northern economy?
A
Factories used cotton produced by the South’s slaves
B
There was no relationship between the two
C
Runaway slaves were the main source of Northern workers
D
The Underground Railroad provided many jobs for Northerners
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Cotton transformed the United States, making fertile land in the Deep South, from Georgia to Texas, extraordinarily valuable. Growing more cotton meant an increased demand for slaves. Slaves in the Upper South became incredibly more valuable as commodities because of this demand for them in the Deep South.

Detailed explanation-2: -Southern cotton supplied the textile mills in the North and Great Britain. After 1840, cotton production made the southern economy stronger and wealthier than the northern economy. The Southern Economy: economic growth was different from the North. There were few large cities in the South.

Detailed explanation-3: -Cotton was the backbone of the US economy in the nineteenth century: northern textile mills spun it into cloth for sale, southern planters sold it to Europe and purchased manufactured goods in turn, and New York speculators loaned money for the purchase of land and slaves.

Detailed explanation-4: -While it was true that the cotton gin reduced the labor of removing seeds, it did not reduce the need for enslaved labor to grow and pick the cotton. In fact, the opposite occurred. Cotton growing became so profitable for enslavers that it greatly increased their demand for both land and enslaved labor.

Detailed explanation-5: -Slavery, as predominantly practiced in the South during the mid 1800’s, aided in the growth of the North’s industrialization and wealth. Cotton grown in the South was sent to Northern factories who in turn made cotton products. These products were shipped from Northern ports to other ports around the world.

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