What was the different roles the North and the South had in the cotton industry and thus slavery?
1 Answer
The South produced the cotton using slave labor, while the North in turn used the cotton in their factories to make textiles, despite the source.
Explanation:
The origin of the differences between the northern and southern states began with the differences in colonial intentions for the two areas. While the colonists to the north tended to have come to America for religious freedom, as was the case with William Penn or the Plymouth Colony, those to the south were financed by mercantile operations looking to create a return on their investment, such as using Jamestown to find fabled gold deposits that were reportedly ripe for the taking.
When no gold was easily forthcoming, what kept the venture going was instead the cash crop of tobacco. However, farming tobacco was harsh labor, and indentured servants quickly filled the role as the arrived to the colonies But the introduction of slaves from a passing Danish slave ship sparked a new era in the cash crop business, especially as cotton became prevalent alongside tobacco.
Indentured servitude naturally phased out as the travel westward became easier and more affordable, so slavery became an easy and cheap source of labor in comparison to others.
Especially with the introduction of Eli Whitney's Cotton 'Gin, the society and culture of the South cemented itself around the economic benefits the rich were able to meter due to slavery. Slave revolts like the Nat Turner Rebellion only confirmed in their mind what would happen if they tried to change to a more equitable system after centuries of oppression and enslavement.
Despite common misconceptions, the north not only had more factories, but more food farms too, due to states like Indiana and Kansas. But the south was the main supplier of various basic goods to the northern factories and the factories of Britain.
